For Love and Honor
by M.Blade
Summary: Sequel to "Child of the Crimson Moon." Hope you enjoy! [Complete!]
1. Continuing the Legacy

AN: Hello again to everyone who has read "Child of the Crimson Moon," which was the story from which this piece of work will continue from. I am very thankful to those of you who praised my work and even gave me inspiration to continue, and hope I will live up to your standards with this series as well.  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu. Original characters are created by me, but may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 1: Continuing the Legacy  
  
It was a dark and stormy day, with harsh biting winds and an oppressive downpour of rain. Upon a grassy hill which looked over the city of Hinata stood two figures, the first was a man with long black hair which spilled over his shoulders, with the rain plastering locks of his hair to his face, hiding his eyes from view. He wore a large black trenchcoat over his equally dark business suit, and stood to one side silently and emotionlessly.  
  
His companion however, was a woman whose appearance contradicted his in every way. Though her long and beautiful hair was ghostly white, her face was of one that barely just graduated from high school. She wore an elegant white dress with delicate silk lining which reached her ankles, but where her companion's wore a stoic face, hers was lined with grief and sadness.  
  
Slowly, the two made their way to the top of the hill, where a single tombstone stood against the onslaught of the storm. Silently, the woman stepped forward and laid a bouquet of flowers at the base of the tombstone, then traced her fingertips over the inscription:  
  
Herein lies  
  
Keitaro and Kaolla Urashima  
  
Beloved parents, friends to many, loved by all.  
  
May their souls find peace, for they shall be missed.  
  
"Mom... Dad..." The woman smiled sadly, her tears mixing with the rain hitting her face. "I promised we'd be back on the day we pass the entrance exam for Toudai..." She then choked back a sniffle. "Sho and I passed it on the first try... Auntie said we must've gotten Mom's intellegence..." Unable to hold back any further, she lowered her face and cried sadly. "I miss you both so much...! Why...?"  
  
The woman's companion watched on silently until her crying slowed down, then placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. She looked up into his face with her emerald green eyes, and knew that despite the cold face he showed to the world, deep inside he was hurting as much as her over the loss of their beloved parents.  
  
"Come on Yuki..." The man squeezed her shoulder gently. "Mom and Dad wouldn't want you to get sick because of the weather..."  
  
Sighing, the woman nodded and stood slowly, and together, brother and sister walked down the hill to a waiting car...  
  
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The sun finally began peeking through the clouds as the two siblings climbed the last of the steps and looked upon the Hinata-Sou, and immediately took notice of two women standing beside the front entrance. One was sweeping the front yard while smoking a cigarette, while the other is seen talking to someone over a cell phone. The two quickly turned their attention to the siblings as they arrived before them.  
  
"Hello Haruka, Auntie Kanako...." Yuki greeted the two quietly, her voice nearly a whisper in the wind. The two elderly women nodded, and the ever business-like Kanako decided to speak...  
  
"You know, you two could've waited until the weather cleared up before visiting them..."  
  
"My Dad was never one to break promises..." Sho replied with a voice empty of emotion. "I don't plan to be the one in the family to break tradition."  
  
"Hey, is that any way to talk to your elders?" Haruka cut in with a raised eyebrow, while Sho parted the wet hair from his face. The two elder women immediately became quiet and gave him a worried look, the two women both had troubled childhoods, ensuring that almost nothing would scare them easily in life.  
  
One look in Sho's eyes, however, sent chills down their backs. They were not filled with rage, nor were they filled with sadness.  
  
They were just two emotionless brown orbs, empty of life...  
  
"My apologies, I'll be in my room if anyone needs me..." Sho exclaimed just as emotionlessly, before heading into the dorm quietly.  
  
Shaking her head with a sigh, Kanako turned to Yuki, who was looking down at the ground sadly. "Have you ever tried to snap some sense back into that brother of yours?" Seeing the young woman nod, the Aunt shook her head. "He has to stop blaming himself for what happened, and carry on with life, we all do."  
  
"He trains everyday as if he were possessed..." Yuki sighed. "I doubt any of us can talk him out of his depression for awhile..." She then smiled sadly to the two elderly women. "But I will go talk to him, it seems to somewhat help..." The two nodded in approval, then watched Yuki enter the dorm.  
  
"Poor kids..." Haruka sighed, puffing out a cloud of smoke. "It's taken a heavy toll on them both..."  
  
Kanako nodded, looking up at the Hinat-Sou. "Yes, even though it's already been two years..."  
  
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Login: sho851  
  
Password: ********  
  
Entry - Toudai  
  
Tokyo University. The most prestigious school in Japan, the one everyone aspires to get into, the one that Mom and Dad went to... The entrance exam was so ridiculously easy, it almost made me want to laugh when Mom told me that Dad only passed it on his second try...  
  
It's hard to believe that only two years have passed... it seems that decades have passed already. I miss them both a lot, probably far more than Auntie Kanako or even Yuki believes...  
  
But I made two promises that day in honor of the Urashima name, and I will die before I break them...  
  
I will follow my Mother's footsteps in Toudai.  
  
And I will protect my sister until my very last breath.  
  
Logoff? Y/N Y  
  
Closing his laptop silently, Sho looked up from his desk and gazed at a framed photo of his family. Neither of his parents looked a day older than the early twenties when they married, and Sho managed a small smile as he remembered the day they took the picture. Sho was seen holding his mother Kaolla in his arms, his face showing a brillant smile at her, who was smiling back at him. Even his eyes and choice of clothing carried a joy which was now missing in life...  
  
Yuki, as always, was like an angel blessed to the Urashima family. Her face also radiated pure joy as she was held by his father Keitaro. The four of them had just returned from a picnic on a warm summer day, and Kanako happened to be there with a camera. With a mischeivous grin, she shared her plan with the Urashima men in whispers, and the two complied by picking up Mother and Daughter in their arms as Kanako snapped the shot with laughs all around...  
  
When a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist gently, his mind snapped back into reality and his body tensed up. He then slowly relaxed as he realized that despite all his martial training, that only one person would ever be able to approach him undetected...  
  
"We both miss them a lot..." Yuki whispered, and Sho nodded silently. "You know I'll always be here for you, Big brother..."  
  
Turning to her, the taller Sho gently pulled his sister off her feet into a warm hug. "I know..." Sho replied quietly. He then showed her a rare, but genuine smile. "Thanks, sis..."  
  
The rare moment of sibling bonding was not to last, as the pair heard a knocking at the front door.  
  
"Who in the...?" Sho grumbled with an annoyed look, and decided to investigate.  
  
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"What's somebody have to do to get someone to answer around here...?" The person knocking at the door sighed to herself. Her long black hair trailed down her back and was tied back into a tail, she wore a simple white training gi and red hakama, with a samurai's daisho tucked into her obi sash. The screen door suddenly slid open, and the woman's black eyes stared up at the taller and more imposing figure of Sho, who looked back at her impassively.  
  
"Master swordswoman of the Shinmei-Ryu." Sho addressed the visitor, calmly straightening his black suit and tie. "What business do you have here?"  
  
The woman's jaw hung in disbelief for a few seconds, before she narrowed her eyes at the landlord. "You're kidding me, right?" She replied angrily. "Don't tell me you forgot who I am...!"  
  
"Who's at the door, Big brother...?" Yuki appeared a second later, then smiled as she saw the visitor. "Emi!"  
  
"Yuki!" The two women laughed and embraced each other, as Sho merely rolled his eyes and stood off to one side. "Come on bro, you remember Emi from before, right?" Yuki smiled up at her brother, who sighed as if he wasn't eager to talk to anyone at the moment.  
  
"Of course, I remember now..." Sho replied calmly, then turned to the swordswoman. "And how is Sensei Motoko these days, is she well?"  
  
"Mother is doing fine, thanks." Emi smiled warmly. "But the main reason I came today is to ask you two a favor..." Seeing the two Urashima siblings watching her, she continued. "The Shinmei-Ryu training camp is becoming cramped with new trainees recently, and with school coming up..."  
  
"...You want to ask for a room here, right?" Sho finished her sentence. "I have no problem with that, on the conditions that you'll be my training partner each morning, and that you pay rent on time each month." He then turned and began walking away. "Show her to her room, sis, I have things to do..."  
  
"Man, who shoved a stick in that boy's..." Emi began with an annoyed look, but stopped as Yuki shook her head at her.  
  
"He's... been that way since the accident, please forgive him." Yuki sighed, looking at the direction her brother walked off to.  
  
"Yeah, my condolences to you guys..." Emi sighed, putting an arm around Yuki to comfort her. "Must've been rough..."  
  
"Enough sad talk, eh?" Yuki smiled slightly as she hefted up Emi's duffel bag. "How about we get you settled down, and the three of us go for a bowl of ramen like the good ol' days?"  
  
Smiling cheerfully, the descendent of Hinata-Sou's swordswoman followed the landlord's sister inside, feeling as much at home as she did in her training camp...  
  
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Like? No like? Please review!  
  
Before anyone lynches me, I'd just like to state that this is just a continuation of the fanfiction Love Hina universe I created before. It's also an attempt for me to write something with a pinch of darkness in it, hope you enjoy! More coming soon! 


	2. There is magic in its halls

AN: Back again folks, apparently I shocked some readers with the beginning of this series. But the genres are properly listed, because while the beginning to this series seem like a tragedy, it'll still be about the average life at Hinata-Sou, albeit with a newer generation. Hope you enjoy!  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, original characters are created by me, but may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 2: There is magic in its halls  
  
"I'm not much for ramen, sis." Sho looked down at the two women impassively. While Yuki simply looked down at the floor in disappointment, Emi fumed at the taller landlord before exploding with the legendary temper of the Aoyoma family line...  
  
"What the heck is the matter with you?!" Emi yelled, her hands on her hips. "I finally get a chance to catch up with you guys after five years, and you're suddenly too good for ramen? It's not like I'm asking you to pay or anything..."  
  
Sho was about to reply with a biting remark, when he glanced over and saw Yuki's saddened face. Sighing inwardly, he decided to give up his solitary lifestyle on this one day for her sake...  
  
"Fine, as long as it's not the instant variety..." Sho said calmly as he put a hand on Yuki's shoulder. The two women instantly smiled up at him, and within a few minutes the group left for town, eager to catch up on the old times...  
  
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"Is it just me, or is all the good ramen joints gone...?" Emi asked with an annoyed look, as the trio have been walking the streets of Hinata for nearly an hour.  
  
"Times really do change, I guess..." Yuki sighed dejectedly. "We should just head back, I could always cook up something for the three of us..."  
  
All this time, Sho had been walking in front of the two, then suddenly held up a hand as he sniffed the air. "Exquisite cooking, something I've only sensed once before..." He grinned to himself. "Follow me." With that, he suddenly took hold of both women's hands and began leading them through a series of streets...  
  
"What is he talking about?" Emi asked with a bewildered look. "I didn't smell anything..." Yuki laughed and merely shook her head, indicating that they should trust his instincts. Sure enough, a few minutes later the trio emerged from an alleyway and looked up at a giant restaurant.  
  
"You're kidding me...!" Emi's eyes widened, reading the restaurant's name.  
  
"Come on, let's go!" Yuki smiled, pulling the two into the restaurant...  
  
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"Hello, Welcome to the Maehara Cookhouse!" The waitress in front smiled. Her long black hair seemed to give off a blue hue as it trailed down to her waist, and she wore a short blue and white dress which came just above her knees. She then looked up with her blue eyes and gasped in surprise as Sho towered over her.  
  
"Hello Natsumi." Sho smiled slightly. "Is your mother in by chance?"  
  
Quickly shaking off her shock, she quickly scrambled into the kitchen. Moments later, the waitress reappeared with an older woman who could've easily been mistaken for her sister if it were not for the small lines of age around the chef's eyes...  
  
"VIPs indeed, daughter..." The chef grumbled. "Who could be so important that I have to..." She then paused and stared at the trio standing at the reception area. "Well I'll be...!" She laughed, rushing forward and hugging the two young women. "Look at you two, you're both so beautiful now!" She then strained to look up at Sho. "And you! What have they been feeding you to become this tall and handsome?"  
  
Smiling, Sho leaned down and picked up the chef under her arms, much like one would with a young child. "Hello Auntie Shinobu, I knew it was your cooking I sensed earlier..."  
  
"I see you're still thinking with your stomach as usual..." Shinobu giggled. "Now be a good boy and put me down, and I'll get some food to you, okay?" The landlord happily complied, and the group moved to settle in at a table...  
  
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True to their memories of Hinata-Sou's past, Shinobu cooked up a feast for the trio in a matter of minutes. As they ate, the master chef and her daughter joined them to catch up on old times...  
  
"I definetly missed your cooking, Auntie Shinobu..." Sho commented between bites. "Looks like you haven't lost your touch, seeing as how business is booming." He was correct, even as he spoke, the large restaurant was packed to the brim and there was still people waiting anxiously for a table.  
  
"Thank you, dear." Shinobu smiled. "Truth is, I only supervise in the kitchen these days, Natsumi is the one that cooked most of these dishes."  
  
"That so...?" Emi smiled at the young waitress. "Wow! You've gotten as good as your mother over the years!" This caused Natsumi to blush with a smile, happy to be complimented by her childhood friends.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, children..." Shinobu suddenly sighed sadly, causing everyone at the table to pause and look at her in concern. "It's just after the... incident, it was too hard for most of us to stay at the Hinata-Sou any longer... I should've stayed to make sure you kids were eating well..."  
  
"It's okay Auntie..." Yuki smiled and patted the elder woman's hand reassuringly. "I know it's been hard on everyone of us... But you finally have your dream of owning a restaurant, and it's doing great as well!"  
  
Shinobu smiled slightly, turning to the Urashima siblings. "I know it's selfish of me, but could I ask you both a favor...?" The two readily nodded, eager to help out a close family friend. "My daughter is going to start high school soon... and since you're both Toudai students now, is it possible for her to stay at the dorm while you two help tutor her?"  
  
"Depends, can she match your cooking?" Sho asked.  
  
"Brother! Shame on you!" Yuki exclaimed, and Sho let out a rare chuckle.  
  
"Alright, alright..." Sho smiled. "I have no problem letting her stay, besides... it'll beat eating Emi's stale cooking when her turn comes around..."  
  
"I resent that!" Emi punched him playfully, and the group laughed like a whole family for the first time in a long while...  
  
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"Any idea as to where they could've gone off to?" Haruka asked, her ever present cigarette trailing a line of smoke in her teashop as she began setting up supplies needed for business the next day.  
  
"Not a clue." Kanako replied, sipping a cup of tea calmly. "But Sho will be close to Yuki at all times, and we both know he can easily defend her when needed..."  
  
"Hi Haruka! Is it too late for us to get some tea?"  
  
Hearing Yuki's voice, the late landlord's Aunt was about to scold her for being out at night so late, but stopped as she saw the Urashima sibling's two companions. "Well now, this is certainly a pleasant surprise..." She commented, puffing out a cloud of smoke with a smile.  
  
"Hello Haruka, Auntie Kanako." Natsumi and Emi bowed respectfully to the two elder women.  
  
"Well, now I know why you get annoyed when my brother calls you that..." Kanako grinned at Haruka. "It does make me feel old..." This drew a laugh from the group. "So, I take it you two will be staying at the dorm, then?"  
  
"Yes, they are." Sho nodded. "If you'll excuse us, I'll be showing them to their rooms now."  
  
"You do that." Haruka nodded as she continued cleaning the teashop. "And you girls might want to try out the hot spring, must've been awhile since you two last been in it." The new tenants nodded with a smile, before the group headed off towards the Hinata-Sou.  
  
"Looks like all the players are gathering once again..." Kanako said after a long moment of silence, "Think there'll be a chance for happiness in the family again?"  
  
"Of course..." Haruka replied, gazing towards the direction of the Hinata- Sou. "After all, there is magic in its halls..."  
  
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Like? No like? Please review!  
  
As I've said before, I'm going to strive to make this series look a bit better than the one before. Hope you've enjoyed, as more is coming soon! 


	3. Kindred souls and archeologists

AN: Hey, back again. I'm starting to feel like my reviews and notes are becoming a "Ask Blade" column... But I'll see what I can do to answer some questions... ^_^  
  
As far as characters being "canon" per se, do keep in mind that this is a sequel to "Child of the Crimson Moon." There will be some changes as this series does take place a couple years after it and all. Although it's not required that you read the series before this, it does help understand the way things are and you'll see the characters in the series being more "canon."  
  
As far as "odd pairings" are concerned, I haven't given deep thoughts or had dreams on them yet, pop me an e-mail and we'll discuss it.  
  
As far as whether more or specific characters showing up? Can't tell, that'd be giving you the script, no? ^_^  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 3: Kindred souls and archeologists  
  
Humming cheerfully to herself, a woman glanced around the packed morning market in Hinata. Her long golden blond hair trailed down below her waist and ended in a tail, and she wore a white baby Tee with a pair of worksman's overalls. Hefting a large camper's backpack over her shoulder, she continued through the markets, drawing attention from everyone to not only the backpack which seemed three times her body weight, but to her unmistakable Western looks as well.  
  
"Ah..." An elderly man blinked as the woman approached his stand, examining the apples which he was selling. "You want buy apple, miss?" The elder spoke in broken English, to which the woman blinked at him with crystal blue eyes before smiling.  
  
"I'll take one!" The woman replied smoothly back in Japanese, stunning the old man. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know the way to the Hinata- Sou, would you?" Still surprised, the old man could only point in a direction, to which she thanked him and placed a 500 yen note in his hand before walking off...  
  
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Standing outside of the Hinata-Sou, Emi looked up silently at one of many trees which surrounded the dorm, enclosing it into an everlasting tranquil place. Straightening her gi and rising from where she knelt, she withdrew her katana and delivered a swift kick to the tree, sending several leaves and twigs down. Her eyes narrowed in preparation, and in a blur of motion seperated the twigs and leaves into twos and threes as she resheathed her sword.  
  
Sensing movement, she glanced back over her shoulder to discover Sho exiting the Hinata-Sou and disappear into the nearby mountain trail. Curious in seeing the landlord's training techniques, she began following him. being careful not to be discovered. After what seemed to be miles deep in the mountains, she had followed him to a giant waterfall, and watched as he sat under its biting cold water and began meditating.  
  
'Purify one's mind...' Emi watched Sho from a distance. 'Perhaps that's what I need to do more often to assist in my own training...' Hearing a growl from behind, she turned with a smile thinking it was Yuki playing a joke on her, but was shocked as she found a huge mountain lion glaring menacingly at her. Reacting in an instant, she drew her sword and shot a wave of energy at it, but cursed as she realized that in panic her attack had no strength and was quickly dissapated.  
  
With a roar that sent chills down her spine, the lion leapt. With a lingering doubt in her own abilities, Emi hesitated and would have surely perished, had not the landlord of the Hinata-Sou interfere on her behalf...  
  
Tackling the lion out of the air right in front of Emi, the two rolled several yards away before taking vicious swings against each other. Emi gasped in horror as she saw that while Sho was pummeling the beast viciously with bloodied fists, the lion was drawing a fair share of blood from him with its claws. Though the combat only lasted mere seconds, it seemed like hours to the swordswoman as all she could do was watch on...  
  
With a sickening crunching sound, the lion fell to a motionless heap on the ground. Slowly, Sho looked up into Emi's eyes with a lifeless gaze before dropping to his knees. Shaking free from her fear, she quickly ran up to him, hoping it's not too late...  
  
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"Take your shirt off, idiot." Emi had somehow managed to drag the near lifeless form of the landlord back to his room in the Hinata-Sou, and was preparing to dress his wounds. When Sho merely looked at her with his usual blank look, she had to struggle not to choke him with her own hands. "Your shirt NOW, Urashima!" She roared, and even Sho flinched slightly as he thought to have seen and heard Motoko instead of her daughter. Slowly, the landlord complied and shed off his bloodied and torn shirt...  
  
She nearly dropped her medical supplies as she stared at the maze of scars which seemed to cover all of his upper body, and was even more surprised to find the injuries from earlier all but gone, forming into new scars on his body. Slowly tracing her fingertips along his body, she stared with a mixed sense of awe and worry, but could only bring herself to say one word...  
  
"Why...?" She whispered, looking into Sho's face.  
  
"Because I would rather have it been the lion instead of you..." Sho replied.  
  
The swordswoman stared at him wordlessly, then began hitting him with fists more out of anger than with force. "It was all my fault, don't you get it?!" She exclaimed as she continued hitting him. "How do you think your sister would have felt if you had died there? What would the others have felt?" She then began sobbing, and soon stopped and simply cried onto his shoulder.  
  
"...How would you think I would've felt...?" She whispered between sobs. Sighing, the landlord gently wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, watching her silently as she cried...  
  
Hearing a knock at the front door minutes later, Sho gently withdrew his arms and stood, while Emi watched him as she wiped her tears away. "You should get some rest, you're not healed yet..." She began, but was cut off as Sho looked at her calmly.  
  
"Stay if you wish, I have no intentions of letting my sister opening the door to a stranger by herself..." Throwing on a simple sweater, the landlord soon disappeared from the room, leaving the swordswoman by herself.  
  
"Damn you, Sho..." She sighed, clutching a hand to her chest. "Why...?"  
  
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Meeting in the living room, the Urashima siblings and tenants gathered and opened the front door as a group. What greeted them surprised even the usually stoic Sho, as a woman with Western looks sat on a gigantic camper's packpack waited outside.  
  
"Wow, you two sure have grown!" The foreign woman smiled, munching on an apple. "So, where's that dorky landlord dad of yours?"  
  
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Minutes later, the group had settled in the living room. The atmosphere was devoid of any joy or humor, and even the newcomer sighed as she cradled a cup of hot tea in her hands.  
  
"I didn't even know..." The woman shook her head sadly. "My apologies to you two... your folks might have been a little odd, but they were good people..."  
  
"Thank you." Yuki smiled slightly, "But what brings you back to Hinata? I thought you were still on an archeological dig with your father?"  
  
"Was." The woman smiled. "We actually dug up a couple kooky ruins a month back, and since I was bored out of my mind when all they did was overanalyze everything..." She then patted her backpack. "...I decided to take a vacation and come back here!"  
  
"It is nice to hear from you again..." Sho nodded. "But why here, of all places?"  
  
"This place holds some pleasant memories for me, even though I only came a couple times when I was a kid..." The woman then smiled, and held up a large and worn notebook. "Besides, I still have to finish something from long ago!"  
  
"I remember that!" Yuki smiled. "You and my mother were charting the secret passages in the Hinata-Sou!"  
  
"Secret passages...?" Both Emi and Natsumi gave a bewildered look, to which the landlord confirmed with a nod.  
  
"Finishing a project that you and mother started, hmm?" After a moment of thought, Sho stood and looked down at the foreigner. "I'd be honored if you're willing to spend more time here then... I'll go set up your room, Miss MacDougal..."  
  
"Why so formal, brat? I'm not that much older..." The woman grinned. "Just Sarah will do."  
  
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As night began setting in, the resident swordswoman strolled quietly to the balcony for some fresh air, and was surprised to see the landlord sitting quietly on the roof. Silently, she made her way over to him and sat behind him, resting her back against his. Neither said anything, merely enjoying the peace and quiet provided by the evening.  
  
"I still want to thank you for earlier..." Emi began, breaking the silence between them after a long moment.  
  
"Don't worry about it..." Sho replied. "You weren't hurt, that's thanks enough."  
  
Though the comment sounded cold from his emotionless voice, Emi still blushed slightly from his words and looked down. After recomposing herself, she looked over her shoulder at the landlord. "Sho...? Have you ever been scared of anything...?" She asked, recalling her moment of hesitation with the mountain lion.  
  
"Of course..." Sho replied quietly. "I always fear I'll lose more people who I care about..."  
  
"Don't be..." Emi smiled slightly. "I'm here now, and I'm pretty sure the two of us can defend everyone here!" Sho merely nodded in reply, and the two sat watching the stars above them in peace and silence...  
  
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Like? No like? Please Review!  
  
Ugh, another piece of garbage for a chapter... Hopefully I can improve on this a bit more in the following chapters. Hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned! 


	4. Toudai bound

AN: Hey folks, back again. Glad to see that I'm still getting positive reviews, albeit much less than when I was cranking out the previous series... As I've said, I'll consider an "odd pairing" if I were to write another series for Love Hina after this. Hope you enjoy!  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, all original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 4: Toudai bound  
  
Natsumi hummed a cheerful tune to herself as she cooked breakfast for yet another bright day in the Hinata-Sou, sprinkling a touch of spices into a pot of soup with a smile. She then began stirring the contents of a pan when she saw a shadow looming over her shoulder, and soon a hand reached out to take a sample from the soup pot.  
  
"Hey! Get out of the kitchen!" She laughed and smacked the intruding hand with a cooking ladle, then turned to the person. "You might be the landlord, but you still have to wait at the table like everyone else!"  
  
"Is that so...?" Sho grinned, and the two soon began chasing each other around the kitchen. Moments later Sho smiled victoriously as he sampled a taste from the soup pot with her ladle, while carrying the chef under his other arm.  
  
"You meanie!" Natsumi laughed as she hit him, but was held firmly under his arm. "You're always picking on me because I'm smaller!"  
  
"Trying your excellent cooking is considered picking on you now?" Sho raised an eyebrow. "I'd hate to see what you'd consider someone asking you out on a date would be...!" He chuckled as he set her down gently, but didn't notice the faint blush on her face from his comment.  
  
Making his way to the dining room, the landlord noticed that the resident swordswoman was coming down the stairs with an annoyed expression on her face. Concerned about her well being, he decided to ask her about it...  
  
"It's my back..." She sighed, trying to stretch. "I must've strained it earlier during training..."  
  
"Here, hold still..." Blinking wearily, Emi suddenly blushed as she realized that Sho was standing behind her with an arm around her shoulders. As she was about to yell at him for trying to take advantage of her, she heard a sudden cracking sound and froze, then noticed that all the soreness and pain from her back had vanished.  
  
"That's amazing! Thanks Sho..." She looked over her shoulder to thank the landlord, but found herself blushing furiously as she found her face mere inches from his. Sho, who had to lean down to help the shorter swordswoman, found himself mesmerized by the pools of darkness that were her eyes. The two unconciously found themselves drawing towards each other slowly, and Emi's heart began beating faster as she felt Sho's gentle breathing against her skin...  
  
"Hey dork!" Sarah called out from the living room, snapping the two out of their trance and pulling away hastily. "There's some weird package here for you!"  
  
"I... better go check that out..." Sho mumbled, straightening his clothing.  
  
"Yeah, you do that..." Emi replied, her face still flushed. She waited until the landlord had left, then covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. 'What was I thinking?!' She thought to herself. 'I almost kissed Sho! What would've mother said if she found out? She'd probably think I was trying to take advantage of his kindness!' She then sighed, shaking her head. 'Maybe I should have a talk with Yuki about it...'  
  
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"Package, you say...?" Sho asked with a raised eyebrow, as he, along with Sarah and Yuki, eyed a giant wooden crate which sat in the middle of the living room.  
  
"Heck if I know..." Sarah shrugged. "All I know is that the mailman dropped it off at the door this morning, and it wasn't light." She then handed him a large envelope. "This also came along with it, addressed to you."  
  
Taking the envelope, Sho noticed with dread that it had a familiar three- eyed pattern on it, but decided to open it and read the letter while sitting down, allowing the two women to read over his shoulder...  
  
Dear Sho and Yuki:  
  
Enclosed is my newest invention which I hope you can help me test out, I've already made sure that everything runs according to specs. So all you two need to do is simply follow the enclosed instructions and it'll be a blast! Hope you enjoy!  
  
Your loving cousin  
  
Raina Su  
  
"Lovely..." Sho sighed as he glanced at the wooden crate. "I have a weird feeling this thing is going to blow up on us..."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Yuki asked, blinking. "Cousin Raina has the smarts to create many wonderful machines..."  
  
"Wonderful, yes." Sho replied. "But rarely stable." He then sighed and put his hands on the crate, ripping a side off with ease and revealing a mess of machinery packaged neatly within. "Oh well, mind as well get this over with..."  
  
After a wonderfully prepared breakfast by Natsumi, the group sat in the living room and watched Sho put together the machine. Having an affinity for gadgets and machinery like his mother, the landlord quickly assembled the invention, and stepped back to view the finished product...  
  
The machine resembled a large metallic egg-like structure, with a series of wires springing from it in all directions and connecting to a control panel in front of it. One lone wire stretched to outside of the dorm, where it was connected to a solar panel to provide power. The machine gave off a quiet hum as Sho began powering it up, its control panel lighting up to life.  
  
"So what is this machine supposed to do...?" Natsumi asked timidly, as she and the other tenants watched on from behind the landlord.  
  
"We'll find out right now..." Sho replied, holding the instructions in one hand as he adjusted the controls with the other. Soon the machine began humming louder as it started working, but soon began to release hissing steam and began shaking violently. Eyes wide with horror, Sho realized what was about to happen and exchanged a look with Emi. No words were needed as the swordswoman quickly helped evacuate the tenants as the landlord tried desperately to shut down the machine, but failed as the machine exploded, sending him flying through the air...  
  
"Dammit..." Sho swore, as the last thing he before blacking out was something large and heavy connecting with his forehead, with flames and pieces of machinery all around him...  
  
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"Erg..." Sho grumbled as he slowly opened his eyes, wincing as he felt a cool cloth dabbing at a cut on his head. He looked up as the cloth was removed, showing a blurry outline of a woman with tanned skin and long blond hair looking down on him. "Mom...?" The landlord blinked, trying to clear up his vision.  
  
"Not quite, kid." The woman giggled. "Though I'm flattered you think I look as good as your mother..."  
  
Blinking the last of the stars away, Sho looked up to see the woman clearly. The woman had shoulder length blond hair and tanned skin. She wore a long and exquisite blue and white dress, and smiled at the landlord warmly, her emerald green eyes hidden behind a small pair of glasses.  
  
Groaning, the landlord rested back and closed his eyes. "Oh, it's you..."  
  
"Gee, thanks for making your cousin feel welcome..." The woman teased, then resumed cleaning his head wound, causing him to wince in pain every now and then.  
  
"Raina..." Yuki and the other tenants arrived, and sat around the prone landlord in concern. "How is he?"  
  
"Almost good as new." Raina chuckled. "I'm just glad that he has a hard head like his father, or him breaking my fall would've probably killed him..."  
  
"That was you flying at me...?" Sho grumbled. "You should trim a few pounds off, cousin..."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
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After cleaning up the debris from Raina's invention, the group sat in the living room to talk. Having recovered from his injuries, Sho watched his cousin with an unamused expression as she began to address the group...  
  
"While I am happy that my teleporting system did succeed, I really am sorry for the damage caused by the malfunction afterwards..." Yuki simply smiled and told her not to worry, while Sho merely grumbled in reply. "But I am glad to be here, seeing as I have a favor to ask of you..."  
  
"No, you can't stay." Sho instantly replied.  
  
"Brother!" Yuki exclaimed, "Shame on you! This is our cousin here!"  
  
Raina simply laughed and shook her head at the siblings. "Even though I pretty much learned everything I needed at school in Molmol, most big companies won't let me work for them without a Master's degree from a recognized university..." She then shrugged. "I figured that I mind as well give Toudai a shot, and was hoping to stay with you guys while I'm here..."  
  
"We'd love for you to stay with us, cousin." Yuki smiled, then shot a warning look at Sho to not contradict her.  
  
"Great!" Raina beamed. "So the old lab still here? I'll set up shop there!"  
  
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With the exception of Raina's arrival, the day went by quietly at the Hinata-Sou, and soon the stars laid claim to the skies as night came. Sho sat silently on the roof, watching the stars as he remembered his childhood years, where his mother would tell him stories about the different stars in the skies.  
  
Though there was no sound, the landlord raised an eyebrow as he sensed the ki of another person nearby, but relaxed as he recognized the energy signature. Seconds later, the person sat down quietly behind Sho, resting against his back as they have every night since the tenant's arrival at the dorm...  
  
"Your cousin seems to be a good person." Emi finally broke the silence after a long moment. "So why the worried look?"  
  
"I'm not worried about Raina." Sho replied. "I'm more worried about the tenants getting hurt in case something happens again..."  
  
"Don't worry about it..." Emi smiled at him over her shoulder. "They have us two watching over them, remember?" The landlord nodded quietly, and the two sat in silence again for a long time.  
  
"Sho...?" Emi began, and quickly hid her face from his as she felt a blush forming. "I was wondering... if you're not busy this Friday...?" Tried as she might, she couldn't find the courage to finish her question, as her face flushed furiously.  
  
"Sure..." Sho replied after a moment of silence, to Emi's surprise. "We'll go take a walk around town, maybe catch a movie, if you're interested." Sighing in relief to herself, the swordswoman nodded. Together, the two watched the stars in silence, each with their own thoughts to themselves...  
  
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Like? No like? Please Review!  
  
I'm starting to get a bit frustrated at the lack of dreams I've been having recently, hence why the chapters seem a bit shorter and lacking in content. But I hope to remedy the problem soon, and thanks to mr-winkie for his input of ideas, which you will see in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy, more coming soon! 


	5. Bleed the past, melt the ice

AN: Hey everyone, I'm back. Yes, I do have to agree that it is the quality of the reviews that counts over quantity, but one can always hope for both, no? ^_^  
  
As to the reason why Sho's the way he is now? Well... If you get the chance, listen to Fuel's "I won't back down" from the Daredevil soundtrack, while reading this chapter...  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 5: Bleed the past, melt the ice  
  
"Sho Urashima..." Raina looked down upon the landlord with worried eyes. Strapping on a pair of latex gloves and putting on a surgeon's mask, she looked into Sho's eyes. "I'll ask you one last time: Are you sure you want to go through with this?"  
  
"I've been working on it for sometime now, I won't back down now." Sho replied, laying on a surgery table barechested. "Besides, if it does backfire, it'll only kill me and not the rest of the tenants..."  
  
"Will you give my invention a rest already?" Raina sighed. "It's been four days since that happened!" She then produced a syringe and looked at the landlord, who shook his head. "You know, without the anesthetic, there'll be quite a bit of pain involved..."  
  
"It'll serve as a reminder and make me stronger." Sho looked up at his cousin and nodded, "Do it."  
  
With a sigh, Raina activated a machine beside the table, and Sho's mouth opened into a silent scream before the darkness claimed him...  
  
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Eyes snapping open, Sho realized he was no longer bound to the surgery table, but on a rainy sidewalk. He blinked in confusion, then realized that he wore light colored clothing and had short spiky hair...  
  
"There you are, Big brother! You'll catch a cold in the rain like that!"  
  
Sho blinked as he felt the rain stop hitting his face, then looked over and saw a face smiling back at him. A face which has never stopped showing love for him over the years of hardship...  
  
"Yuki... sis..." The landlord blinked at the young woman, who simply smiled as she held his arm with one hand, while holding an umbrealla with the other, sheltering them from the rain.  
  
"Come on kids, lets go home now..."  
  
Turning around in surprise, he watched as a smiling couple came up to the siblings. One was a woman who nearly resembled Raina in every way, but had much longer hair and wasn't wearing glasses. The man held an umbrealla for them both, and had brown eyes peeking out from under black hair and a pair of glasses. Sho was nearly moved to tears as he recognized the figures.  
  
"Mom...Dad..."  
  
"Come on, son..." Sho smiled as his father ran a hand through his hair, as he would always do. Together, the four of them began crossing the street that would lead them back to the Hinata-Sou. A screeching sound made them all look and stare in shock as a car came sliding towards them, parental concern kicking in, the two adults shoved the children out of the way just as the car impacted, sending the adults flying through the air like rag dolls...  
  
Sho screamed, as a part of the light in his soul dimmed...  
  
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[Subject is showing beginning symptoms of psychological trauma, continue?] The computer asked, as Raina labored nonstop over the landlord's body...  
  
"Shut up!" Raina roared at the computer, sweat beading over her forehead. "Dammit Sho, pull yourself together! Happy thoughts, think happy thoughts!" Sighing, she continued working as fast as she could...  
  
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"Who here is a family member of the Urashimas?" A doctor asked as he entered the waiting room, all the tenants of the Hinata-Sou had arrived quickly after hearing the news, and the siblings quickly rose to their feet.  
  
"I'm Sho Urashima, their son." Sho replied, a concerned look on his face. "How are they, doctor...?"  
  
"Your father was pronounced dead upon arrival..." The doctor began, even though he has delivered this type of news before, one can tell it was never easy for him. "As for your mother, her internal injuries were too great... I'm sorry..."  
  
The wave of sadness following the announcement was instant, as everyone began weeping or stared at the doctor in shock. Yuki cried nonstop into her brother's shoulder as he held her comfortingly...  
  
But Sho did not cry, instead the light of his soul dimmed again...  
  
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[Warning! Subject going into cardiac arrest!] The computer warned, as Raina's eyes widened.  
  
"No, damn you!" The scientist shouted. "Computer! Inject 20mg of morphine, activate stablization mode A-497 now!" The warning lights continued to flash for a few more seconds, before returning to its regular state.  
  
[Subject stabilized, detecting abnormal brain wave patterns. Recommend aborting operation]  
  
"No, continue as planned..." Raina replied, then looked down at the landlord worriedly. "Come on, damn you... How am I supposed to answer to Yuki if you croak on me...?"  
  
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"...And so because of the circumstances at the time, the court sentences you to 150 hours of community service. That is all." With the slamming of the gavel, it was all over...  
  
Sho watched on as the defendant shook hands happily with his lawyer. Even though the man was found intoxicated behind the wheel and was exceeding the speed limit on a raining day, no one wanted to mess with an in-law of the Emperor himself... But the court still had an "image" to keep, and so only sentenced him to community service to show "justice."  
  
Needless to say, Haruka and Kanako were ready to rip the man apart there and then. Yuki was struggling to keep from crying her heart out for the pointless deaths of their parents...  
  
But Sho was unable to do anything... And the last of the light in his soul was extinguished, leaving behind a cold shell of a man...  
  
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Sitting up with a gasp, Sho looked at his surroundings with bloodshot eyes before being pushed back down by Raina, who sighed with relief as she did. "Ease up, cousin." She commented as she took off the surgical clothing, then looked at him with a smile. "The procedure was a success, even though it took all day..." She then removed her glasses to wipe them clean as she continued. "You should rest up for today, I'll have Natsumi cook up something for you later on..."  
  
"Thank you, Raina." Sho nodded, then sat up slightly. No wounds nor scars were visible on his body as he put his shirt back on, he then looked at the woman calmly. "And please, not a word of this to anyone else."  
  
"Of course." Raina replied, then walked out of the lab with the look of being mentally and physically spent, heading for the sanctuary that was her room and futon...  
  
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The following day found itself to be rather entertaining...  
  
"You got yourself a date with our studly landlord? You go girl!" Raina exclaimed cheerfully.  
  
"A date with Sho?! You're so lucky!" Natsumi gaped.  
  
"Hmm, I suppose you could do worse, but I'm still happy for you." Sarah grinned.  
  
"Yuki, you promised..." Emi sighed, eyeing the landlord's sister.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Yuki bowed apoligetically. "It's just that I'm so happy that Big brother is opening up to someone other than me, that it just slipped..."  
  
"Well, enough talking!" Raina smiled. "We've got to get you looking so hot, my cousin won't be able to keep his hands off you!" Despite her protests and struggling, the other tenants happily dragged the swordswoman off into Yuki's room, leaving Natsumi chuckling to herself as she resumed cooking lunch for the dorm.  
  
"Hmm... Is that chicken I smell?"  
  
"It sure is..." Natusmi replied, then gasped and turned around, brandishing a cooking ladle and a spatula as weapons. "Get back! I'm not letting you through this time!"  
  
"Is that so...?" Sho grinned, and the two resumed the chase that almost always happens before every meal...  
  
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After lunch, the landlord stood in the living room to wait for his date. He chose to slick back his usually unruly hair from his face and into a tail, and instead of his usual choice of dark clothing he chose a semi-formal white suit and blue tie. Blinking, he sighed to himself, not being used to changing his appearance for anyone other than himself...  
  
"Looking sharp tonight, Big brother..." Yuki smiled, helping him straighten his tie. "Now behave yourself and treat her with respect tonight, you hear?"  
  
"Of course, I wouldn't think to otherwise..." Sho smiled back at his sister, then looked up as his date arrived and nearly stopped breathing...  
  
Emi stood before the landlord with a demure smile and a faint flush across her cheeks. Her long and elegant black hair seemed to shine with a life of its own, and she wore a long and elegant blue and gold dress which came down to her ankles. The two stood mesmerized with the other's looks, much to the other tenants' amusement, and a long moment passed before the silence was broken.  
  
"Well, aren't you two the cute couple!" Raina exclaimed, drawing an embarrassed look from Sho and a deeper blush from Emi. "Now you two go and have fun, and behave yourselves!" She smiled as she gently led the swordswoman out of the front door, then applied a foot to Sho's behind, causing the tenants to laugh as the scientist closed the door behind her...  
  
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"It's beautiful..." Emi exclaimed with a surprised look, as she walked beside Sho in a intricately designed garden. The many trees and shrubs of the park were shaped delicately into artistic masterpieces, along with strategically placed flowers, made the location breathtaking as the sun began setting.  
  
"I'm glad you like it." Sho smiled at her, and the swordswoman felt her heart skip a beat at the warmth of his smile. "I come here sometimes to enjoy the scenery myself, it's a peaceful and quiet enviornment..."  
  
"Part of your training regime?" Emi smiled.  
  
"No..." Sho chuckled and shook his head. "More like a getaway..." The swordswoman nodded in understanding, and said no more on the matter...  
  
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"You're joking..." Sho was chuckling as the two ate at a fancy German restaurant, where the food was just as delicious as it was overpriced. Emi had complained about the landlord spending too much for their meal, but one look in his eyes quickly quelled all complaints from her, and the two laughed at jokes over glasses of wine.  
  
"No, seriously!" Emi laughed. "Apparently Auntie Kitsune had my Mom drink so much, that she nearly started making out with your Dad!" Seeing his smile fade slightly from the mentioning of his father, she looked down guiltily. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have brought up unpleasant memories with my big mouth..."  
  
"Don't be..." Sho smiled, making the swordswoman look up in confusion. "It's always a pleasure to hear stories about my parents from people I'm close to... It helps me build fond memories of them..." Seeing Emi still being quiet, he smiled and raised his glass. "...And to my wonderful date tonight, who helped me enjoy life more than I have in the past two years."  
  
Blinking in surprise, she could only smile with a blush from his sincere expression, and clicked her glass to his...  
  
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Having drank a bit too much wine but not wanting to make a scene of having the landlord carry her, Emi clung onto Sho's arm as the two made their way back towards the Hinata-Sou. The chill winds at night began picking up, and the landlord draped his jacket over the thankful swordswoman as they walked down the street...  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Sho noticed two figures approaching wearing dark clothing and carrying what appeared to be knives. Concerned with Emi's safety and still mildly drunk from the wine, he never realized what happened until a baseball bat connected with the back of his head, sending him to the ground...  
  
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Emi nearly screamed in horror as she watched Sho fall, then tried to go to his rescue as a man in dark clothes laid into him repeatedly with a baseball bat, while two others stabbed wildly with knives. Unfortunately for her, the two approaching from earlier had rushed up and restrained her, forcing her to watch on in horror until the three men stopped and began approaching her, leaving the landlord in an unmoving heap, a pool of blood spreading under him...  
  
"Well, aren't you a pretty thing...?" The apparent leader of the group grinned evily as he eyed Emi up and down. "I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream tonight...!" The swordswoman couldn't help but shudder in fear, as the men laughed evily around her while she was held immobile...  
  
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[System back online]  
  
[Warning: Critical puncture damage to left lung and liver. Repair in 3.78 seconds]  
  
Slowly, Sho opened his eyes and rose to his knees weakly. Blinking away blood from his eyes, he looked down to see the stab wounds starting to close, and grinned to himself.  
  
'How about that, it does work...' Sho thought. 'Guess I'll have to thank Raina for helping out again...'  
  
Hearing a muffled scream, the landlord quickly looked up and saw a group of men surrounding Emi. Eyes narrowing in hatred, he quickly rose to his feet with fists clenched, and grinned to himself as he saw that the group had all trained their eyes on the swordswoman instead of their surroundings...  
  
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Eyes wide in fear, Emi could only watch as she was held down by the men, screaming for help was out of question as her mouth was covered by a large hand. As the leader of the group chuckled to himself, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed his face and the back of his head, and with a jerking motion had snapped his neck cleanly, toppling the large man.  
  
"What the...?" One of the knife wielding men began, but was quickly silenced as a fist pistoned into his chest with the force of a runaway train. Ribs shattered and internal organs ruptured as the man flew backwards and landed in a heap motionlessly.  
  
Emi watched on in disbelief as the three remaining men gathered their senses and charged the seemingly immortal landlord, but their efforts were in vain as Sho laid into them mercilessly. Bones cracked, blood was spilled, and life was extinguished. The sight of such violence was too great for Emi, and the last thing she saw before fainting was of Sho dropping the last of their assaulters, casting a worried look at her...  
  
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Waking with a gasp in fear, Emi blinked as she took in her surroundings, and realized that she was laying on the futon in her room at the Hinata- Sou. Still gripped with fear, she quickly looked over herself and was relieved that her clothes were still on her and in one piece...  
  
"You're awake, thank goodness..."  
  
Looking up, the swordswoman watched as Sho entered her room quietly and sat across from her. She noticed that while he had changed into loose clothing, his hairstyle had remained the same as before. Suddenly remembering, she rushed to him and pulled his sweater up, then ran her fingertips over the scars of his stab wounds.  
  
"I'm so sorry..." Emi sobbed, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Don't be." Sho replied calmly. "I'd rather be me instead of you."  
  
"No! Don't say that!" She exclaimed, pulling him close and crying into his chest. "You always get hurt because of me...! First the lion, and now this...!" She shuddered with each sob, and was nearly crushing the landlord with her arms. "I couldn't even help when it mattered the most...! I'm not worthy to inherit the Shinmei-Ryu..." Shaking his head with a sigh, Sho simply held her in his arms as she cried...  
  
After a long moment, her tears were finally spent, and she looked up at Sho. "What do you live for, Sho...?" She asked quietly, and the landlord looked back at her with a confused look. "What gives your life meaning...? Raina has her inventions, I have the sword, what about you...?"  
  
"I live for my sister..." Sho replied after a moment of consideration. "She's the only family I have left now... And I don't think I could live on without her..."  
  
"Would you ever consider... living for me as well...?" Emi whispered, then looked down and shook her head as Sho's gaze returned to her. "Forget it... It's selfish of me to even say something like that..." Blinking, she found her chin being lifted by Sho's hand, and found herself looking into his eyes. They were not the normally emotionless eyes he showed to the public, but ones filled with caring and love - much like ones he only reserved for his sister...  
  
"I don't think that's selfish..." Sho replied, and leaned towards her. Emi's eyes shot wide open as his lips met hers gently, and felt his hands pulling her closer to him. Slowly she closed her eyes and gave in to his embrace, returning his kisses passionately as she held onto him tightly. Inside, her heart pounded as she had finally broken the icy shield that had surrounded her landlord...  
  
Her childhood sweetheart...  
  
Her confidant in life...  
  
Her Sho...  
  
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Like? No like? Please review!  
  
Ooh, the mystery behind Sho's brooding behaviour is finally revealed! But what other mysteries and surprises are in store for the Hinata-Sou? Stick around, more on the way! 


	6. Memories

AN: Greetings again, and many thanks for all the great reviews! By the time this gets posted, I should hopefully be lurking around online with AIM as well, so look for the user "DaMikeBlade" if you want to chat about my fics or writing in general!  
  
Someone asked the other day in regards of my opinions on the "natural" pairing of Kei/Naru. Personally, anime-wise she is a very attractive character, but her personality kills it. While I do wish to slap some sense into everyone's beloved landlord for chasing her, it's beyond me. I've always been a firm believer that the other women would've treated him better, hence my first piece of writing on FF.net was born.  
  
For those of you who dislike my opinion, remember, it's just an opinion posted by an American who believes in free speech. I'm not bashing anyone who likes the "natural" pairing, so please don't bash me either.  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, all original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 6: Memories  
  
As the first rays of sunshine began shining into the room, Emi slowly stirred before sitting up in her futon. Glancing at the clock, she mentally scolded herself for missing the prime training time period of the day, and quickly dressed in her training uniform. Finishing her preparations, she reached for her bokken and paused at a curious object beside it...  
  
A black ribbon...  
  
Sho's hair ribbon...  
  
Immediately several thoughts shot through her mind as she picked up the ribbon with wide eyes. 'We didn't last night... Did we...?!' She tried desperately to remember, then sighed in relief and held the ribbon to her face. 'Of course not, you idiot... He's too much of a gentleman to do that...'  
  
Smiling to herself, she tied the ribbon to her bokken and exited her room...  
  
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"Now let's see..." Sarah chewed on a pocky stick with a thoughtful look, as she walked in a dark passageway. She then flipped a couple pages through the notebook she carried with her as she came to a fork in the passage.  
  
"Well, we charted the path heading right last time, guess I'm heading left!" Smiling to herself, Sarah closed the notebook and stashed it away as she continued on. Just as she dug into her pocket for another pocky stick, she heard a loud 'click' and froze...  
  
"Aw man, not again..." Sarah sighed, just as a trapdoor opened beneath her, sending her tumbling down towards the darkness.  
  
"I hate it when this happens...!" Her voice echoed through the secret passageways of the Hinata-Sou.  
  
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Natsumi hummed to herself as she cooked breakfast in the kitchen, stirring a pot of miso soup gently. She smiled quietly as she realized that in a few more minutes she would once again be trying to fend off the landlord from tasting the food before the actual meal, and more often than not fail from it.  
  
Even though he appeared to be cold and silent to everyone, he always had a smile and kind word for her that would melt her heart each time. At times, she would make him believe he had outwitted her in the kitchen just to be carried in his arm, to be close to him even if he didn't recognize her intent...  
  
She then sighed, remembering how there was a seemingly natural bond between Sho and Emi. To her, the resident swordswoman was better at everything. She exceled in the martial arts, was in advanced academic classes, and was much more beautiful than she was... It would seem that winning the landlord's heart was an impossible task...  
  
"Something on your mind, Natsumi?"  
  
Blinking out of her thoughts, she turned to find Yuki and Raina smiling at her. The chef silently scolded herself, as in the time lapsed the landlord's sister had helped chop all the vegetables for her, and had even helped set the table.  
  
"It's nothing..." Natsumi replied with a nervous smile, returning to her cooking.  
  
"That so...?" Raina raised an eyebrow at the chef, then grinned. "Don't know about you, cousin... but looks like someone here has the hots for your brother..." Natsumi, who happened to be tasting the soup at the time, nearly spewed it back into the pot, and coughed for a moment.  
  
"I... I don't know what you're talking about..." Natsumi replied nervously, her face flushed as she scrambled to work on the next dish for breakfast.  
  
"It's alright, Natsumi." Yuki smiled as she helped her serve the miso soup. "My Big brother is a honest and caring person, there's nothing to be ashamed of..." Seeing the chef nod quietly with a small smile, the two cousins smiled as well and proceeded to help her with preparing the rest of breakfast...  
  
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As Emi climbed up the last steps to the balcony, she watched as Sho flowed through a kata and simply admired his strength. Each step and strike was fluid and beautiful, yet she saw the destructive force behind each attack and the ferocity in his eyes and couldn't help but worry for him...  
  
"You're late for training." Sho commented as he landed from a jumping roundhouse kick, and looked at the swordswoman calmly.  
  
"Sorry, I slept in on accident..." Emi replied with a sheepish smile.  
  
"Well, I suppose you can afford to indulge yourself every now and then..." The landlord shrugged. "By the way, Sensei called the other day and left me very precise instructions on helping you train..."  
  
"Mother called...?" Emi gulped nervously, as her instructions tend to be harsh and taxing not only to the student's body, but mind as well... "So what is her instructions on my training for today...?"  
  
"Fairly simple, actually..." Sho smiled. "All you have to do is hit my body physically with your bokken for your first lesson..." This caused Emi to raise her eyebrow in suspicion, as the excercise seemed far too easy for her to complete, even if she was used to attacking with energy techniques...  
  
"Very well..." Emi bowed to the landlord, who bowed back as the two settled into ready stances. Sho adapted a loose stance with his hands in front of him, while Emi positioned her bokken close to her right ear. Neither side moved as they tested each other's patience, and finally Emi's ran out as she charged forward with a loud battle cry and delievered a massive shomen strike, designed to cleave an opponent from shoulder to hip...  
  
...Except Sho was now standing parallel with her instead, and connected with a vicious right to her leg. Biting back a cry, she limped back several steps to resume her stance. She knew that he had held back, or her leg would have been in multiple pieces by now. Nontheless, she was going to have a nasty bruise later...  
  
"Too slow, are you even awake yet...?" Sho commented, and Emi found herself speechless at the sight of his eyes, which were as emotionless as when she first moved into the dorm...  
  
'Was last night really just a dream...?' Emi thought as she switched to an offensive stance. '...Or is he just really serious about his training...?' With a roar, she faked a swing to his midsection, then proceeded into a decapitating blow towards his neck. The landlord calmly dodged the first swing, and before the swordswoman's astonished eyes lightly tapped the flat of her bokken with his palm, deflecting it off course. Before she could recover from being set off balance, he had set a foot behind her legs, and used the momentum of her swing to trip her, sending her crashing onto her back.  
  
Wincing in pain from landing on her shoulders, Emi slowly opened her eyes to see Sho kneeling above her, and her eyes widened slightly as she felt the landlord's hand brush a lock of hair from her face, then gently carress her cheek... Looking up, she saw that the warmth and caring he had shown her before had returned in his eyes. Reaching up, she cupped Sho's face in her hands, and felt her heart melt as he smiled at her warmly, as she pulled him down into a passionate kiss and feel him reciprocate, she smiled inwardly...  
  
'It wasn't a dream, after all...'  
  
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Having returned inside the dorm, Sho made his usual attempt to sneak a taste of Natsumi's cooking, but was surprised as he was beaten back into retreating through a combined effort from Raina and Yuki, who were apparently assisting the chef with breakfast. Forced to wait at the dining table for the first time in weeks, the landlord sat with a dejected look on his face, but was surprised as Sarah suddenly fell through a ceiling panel and bowled the two to the ground...  
  
"Ah, dining room!" Sarah smiled, sitting up and happily jotting in her notebook. "So that's where that branch leads to..."  
  
"Someone needs to go on a diet..." Sho commented as he shot the American an annoyed look, who stuck her tongue out at him before getting off his body. She then watched curiously as the landlord replace the ceiling panel with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Hmm, someone's cheerful this morning..." She commented at seeing his neutral expression, rather than his usual brooding. "...Someone get lucky last night, by chance?" This drew a death glare from the landlord, to which she laughed and waved her hand to show she was joking.  
  
"Breakfast is ready!" Natsumi announced cheerfully, as she and her 'helpers' arrived with an assortment of food. Eyes lighting up in delight, Sho quickly forgot the comments from Sarah, and the group settled down to yet another woderful meal prepared by their master chef...  
  
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Being on a weekend, the female tenants had no school and decided to gather to talk about "women issues," which sent the landlord off to clean the hot spring and drew laughs from everyone else. Amidst the laughs and cheerful talking, a knock at the front door drew everyone's attention, and Yuki went to greet the visitor with Emi following close behind, ready to protect the landlord's sister if need be...  
  
A woman greeted the two residents at the doorway, her auborn hair was long and refined, and she wore a simple blue business dress under a white lab coat. Her brown eyes seemed to reflect ages of knowledge which was reinforced with the name badge that marked her as a professor at Toudai.  
  
Emi merely blinked in surprise, while Yuki smiled in recognition and led the woman inside. As the newcomer sat with the group in the living room, Sarah grinned as she recognized the woman and waved at her.  
  
"Hey there, pint-size. Haven't seen you in ages..." Sarah smiled, then raised an eyebrow. "And a Toudai professor now, no less!"  
  
"Nice to see you too, Sarah." The woman replied with a smile, then thanked Natsumi as a cup of tea was handed to her. As Yuki inquired to the reason of her visit, she smiled. "Well, I was checking my student listing for this upcoming semester, and I was surprised to see you and your brother's name, so I decided to come pay a visit and..." Her voice trailed off as she looked behind Yuki, and the group turned to find the landlord watching them.  
  
"Mei Narusegawa..." The landlord narrowed his eyes, surprising everyone by his cold attitude towards the visitor. "What business do you have here at the Hinata-Sou...?"  
  
Sighing, the woman stood and walked up to Sho, looking up at him with a sad expression. "Sho, I just want to apoligize about last time..." Her sentence was cut off abruptly as the landlord suddenly turned and walked away, leaving her looking down at the floor sadly.  
  
"Whoa..." Raina blinked. "What the heck did you do to make him that mad? I'm surprised he hasn't ripped your head off..."  
  
"It's something that happened after the accident..." Mei replied with a sigh as she rejoined the group. "I was trying to bring him back from the depression he sunk into... And me being the hotheaded bitch I was, I threw something at his head to try and snap him out of it..."  
  
"I can understand being mad for getting hit..." Natsumi blinked. "But Sho's not the type of person to hold a grudge over that, is he...?"  
  
"No, he's not..." Yuki shook her head sadly. "But when the said object was a picture of him and my Dad..." No more words were needed as everyone nodded in understanding, aside from his sister, Sho treasured memories of his parents more than anything in the world...  
  
"Needless to say..." Mei continued. "His first act as the landlord of the Hinata-Sou was to evict me, despite everyone's complaints..." She then sighed and looked down into her cup of tea. "I guess he still hasn't quite forgiven me for that..."  
  
"It's just a misunderstanding... We all know that..." Yuki patted Mei's hand reassuringly with a gentle smile. "But I believe you were going to tell us the reason of your visit...?"  
  
"Of course..." Mei smiled slightly. "As I said, I noticed your names on my students' list, so I wanted to come by and see if either of you would be interested in being tutored by me after classes..."  
  
"Thanks, but not interested in your offer." Everyone looked up in surprise as Sho entered the room again. "But I'll work out a deal with you: Natsumi needs a tutor to help her out, and I believe you're more qualified than anyone here." Sho looked between the chef and the professor before continuing. "If you can manage that, I'll welcome you back to Hinata-Sou and waive your monthly rent. Deal?"  
  
Surprised, Mei quietly nodded as Natsumi thanked the landlord, who turned and left again without another word...  
  
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As night came and everyone retired to their respective rooms, Sho is seen walking calmly through the premises and checking to make sure everyone was safe. As he rounded the corner to the corridor leading to his room, he narrowed his eyes as he spotted Mei waiting outside his room.  
  
"Good evening, Sho..." Mei nodded to him quietly, wearing a modest sleeping kimono and holding a wrapped package in her hands.  
  
"It's late, you should be resting." Sho replied coldly.  
  
"I know, it's just..." She began, looking up at him with a sigh. "I just never got to apoligize for what happened that day... I should've been more considerate..."  
  
"It's in the past, don't worry about it..." He then began making his way past her, but stopped as he felt her hand clinging to his sleeve, and glanced back at her.  
  
"Here..." She held the package forward. "It's not much, but both my sister and I wanted you to have this... An apololgy gift, if you will..." Raising an eyebrow in curiousity, the landlord unwrapped the package, then paused in shock as he pulled out a picture frame...  
  
The picture was taken in front of the Hinata-Sou on a bright summer day, with all of its former tenants and his parents in it. It also included Sho and Yuki, along with everyone of the current tenants as well, depicting them in their childhood roughly ten years ago...  
  
Nearly moved to tears by the memories from the picture, he gently pulled the Toudai professor into his arms. Mei merely blinked, then smiled and wrapped her arms around the taller landlord...  
  
"So am I forgiven...?" Mei smiled up at the landlord after a moment.  
  
"Yes, you are..." Sho smiled back warmly, and decided to escort her back to her room, happy to be reunited with the last of his childhood friends...  
  
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Like? No like? Please review!  
  
Ah ha! Finally introduced Mei, with thanks to Mr-Winkie's suggestions! As I've said before, any suggestions through reviews, e-mail, or even AIM is welcome! Stay tuned, more coming soon! 


	7. The darkest secret of HinataSou

AN: Greetings again. I know my posting times have slowed down a tiny bit, but posting once a day has just been killing me, hope you all understand. I'll shoot for at least once every other day...  
  
But many thanks so far for not flaming me! I do realize that the story may seem a bit dull come the romance parts, but hey: We can't have blood and gore 24/7, right? My thanks to you loyal readers, as I hope to continue entertaining you with this series.  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 7: The darkest secret of Hinata-Sou  
  
"Oh my gosh, look at that guy! He's so hot!"  
  
"Holy... Dude, check out that babe!"  
  
Sho merely rolled his eyes as he walked beside Yuki for their first day as students at Toudai. He's heard all the whispers before since their high school days, and have come to accept it as part of life. Even though he prefered a solitary lifestyle, he constantly attracted attention due to his good looks and long hair, and it probably didn't help that he towered over most other Japanese by nearly a foot or more...  
  
"Oh, how do I look? You think he'll be interested if I ask him out to coffee?"  
  
"Man, if she'd agree to go with me to the movies this Saturday..."  
  
Sighing, Sho glanced over at his younger sister. If she did hear the whispers, Yuki never seemed to be fazed by it. Unlike her brother, she made friends easily and always seemed cheerful and uplifting to everyone around her. But just like her brother, her snowy white hair and full figure, coupled with her innocent charms, made her an angelic beauty sought after by all single men. And more often than not, Sho had to step in to prevent a lecher's advances on her...  
  
"Too bad, looks like that girl's already got him..."  
  
"Damn, that's probably her boyfriend though..."  
  
The Urashima siblings continued through the campus in silence, while drawing even more attention from the other students. As the two finally reached the main building, Yuki turned to her brother and smiled, who smiled back as he handed her a small backpack and some books.  
  
"Thanks for carrying my stuff, Big brother." Yuki smiled. "I'll see you later tonight, okay?"  
  
"Of course, sis." Sho smiled and squeezed her shoulder gently. "Now run along, don't be late for class..." Nodding, she gave him a light hug before walking down a corridor. Sho watched her for several moments, then smiled before heading off for his own class...  
  
"He's her brother! I think he's going to my class too!"  
  
"Dude! They're brother and sister?! I can still ask her out then!"  
  
Sho sighed as he rubbed his temple, and decided that it was going to be a very long day ahead of him...  
  
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Yuki blinked.  
  
While she was accostomed of men staring at her during class, she definetly wasn't used to being in a computer lab where she was the ONLY female present. Nontheless, she still cheerfully greeted each person who spoke to her, but turned down the people asking her out with kind words. She then sighed, quietly working at her console and praying for time to pass quickly so she can leave the testosterone filled enviornment...  
  
[Su, R.] Hey snow white, you okay over there?  
  
Blinking at the chat text that sprung up on her screen, Yuki quickly looked up and scanned the room. She then saw the tanned scientist in the lab next door, who smiled at her from her own console behind a plexiglass window.  
  
[Urashima, Y.] Yes, thanks for asking though.  
  
[Su, R.] You don't look okay, something or someone bugging you?  
  
Chuckling quietly and shaking her head, Yuki typed a response back.  
  
[Urashima, Y.] I don't want to be mean, but this guy behind me keeps trying to ask me out.  
  
[Su, R.] Gotta be firm sometimes, cousin. Gimme a sec.  
  
Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Yuki was about to type in a reply when she heard a yelp of panic. As one, the entire lab turned and watched as the console behind Yuki suddenly displayed a vast amount of VERY graphic adult sites, before the system shot out sparks and shorted out. Everyone else in the lab - including one very upset instructor, surrounded the now baffled student and was asking questions and demanding explanations.  
  
Eyes wide in shock, Yuki turned back and saw that Raina had a smirk on her face.  
  
[Urashima, Y.] Raina! That was a horrible thing to do!  
  
[Su, R.] Hey, ask and ye shalt receive, is what I say.  
  
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"...And so she was so out of it, I was worried that the teacher would give her detention or something!" A group of high school senior girls laughed as they walked down a street after school, Emi chuckled nervously, as she was the subject of discussion in the group.  
  
"I know what's on her mind..." One of the girls smiled as she nudged Emi playfully. "She's got a boyfriend, that's why!" With a collective gasp, the group began bombarding the swordswoman with questions to confirm the truth, who nodded while trying to hide her flushed face.  
  
"Wow!" Another girl smiled. "So what's this guy like?"  
  
"Well, he's the landlord of the dorm I stay at..." Emi replied quietly, and several of the group made a face.  
  
"Ugh, you're going out with some old geezer?"  
  
"No!" Emi laughed. "Although we should be meeting up with him shortly..." Sure enough, as the group turned a corner, they saw the Urashima siblings chatting in front of a cafe. With a smile, Emi waved to them, and to the group's surprise the landlord noticed and waved back with a smile.  
  
"That hunk over there is your boyfriend...?" One of the girls asked in disbelief, then narrowed her eyes at the swordswoman. "You sure he's not cheating on you with that other girl he's talking to?"  
  
"They're siblings, silly!" Emi laughed and waved goodbye to her friends as she walked over and gave the siblings hugs before sitting with them, drawing amazed looks from the group of high schoolers.  
  
"They're related?" One of the girls blinked. "What are their parents, supermodels?"  
  
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As the trio climbed the steps leading to the Hinata-Sou, Sho smiled quietly as Emi held onto his arm and told him about everything that happened on her first day back to school, while Yuki walked on the other side of her brother, watching the happy couple quietly with a smile. As they reached the top, Sho suddenly narrowed his eyes and stopped, motioning for the two women to stay behind him.  
  
"Something's wrong... Stay here." Sho whispered, and the two complied as he sprinted towards the dorm, plowing through the front screen doors with a worried look. Trusting his instincts, he rushed over to the kitchen and found Natsumi unconscious on the floor. Picking the chef up in his arms, he glanced around and cursed as he found the reason of his worries: The pilot light in the stove had went out, allowing the gas to fill the room.  
  
"Hey dork, you're back early..." Sarah raised an eyebrow as she exited from a nearby restroom, upon which Sho's eyes went wide as he sprinted towards her with Natsumi under his arm, but arrived too late as the American's hand slammed the restroom door shut, creating a nearly indistinguishable spark...  
  
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The two women standing outside watched in shock as a large explosion engulfed the bottom level of the Hinata-Sou, and quickly rushed towards the flaming building. As they arrived, they both sighed in relief to see Sho carrying out an unconscious Natsumi and a visibly shaken Sarah...  
  
"Don't worry about me!" Sho yelled as they tried to treat a cut on his forehead. "Get that fire put out!" The two quickly rushed for fire extinguishers as he sent Sarah to fetch his other relatives, he then put his ear to Natsumi's lips and frowned.  
  
'She must've inhaled too much gas...' Sho thought with a worried look, then began performing CPR on her. 'Come on, dammit! Don't you dare die on me...'  
  
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As she opened her eyes wearily, Natsumi felt a gentle pressure on her body and was surprised to find Sho's lips meeting hers, and was even more shocked as she found one of his hands on her breasts. But before she could blush, Sho pulled back and looked into her eyes before smiling in relief...  
  
"Glad to have you back..." Sho commented. "How're you feeling?"  
  
"Okay, I guess..." Natsumi blinked, then realized that all the tenants - including Haruka and Kanako, was apparently watching as they all looked relieved that the young chef was unharmed. She then noticed the landlord's charred clothing and gasped at seeing his cuts and bruises. "Sho! Are you alright...?"  
  
"Don't worry about me..." The landlord smiled. "I'm fine as long as you're okay." Natsumi felt her heart skip a beat at his words and caring smile, and watched as he walked away to check up on the damages done by the explosion...  
  
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After calling in a favor, Kanako had somehow managed to find a construction crew who not only repaired all the damages to the dorm in a few short hours, but also install a modern age sprinkler system as well. When asked where she found the construction crew, she merely smiled and replied that she prefered to 'be prepared for anything.'  
  
Having gone through a day filled with enough excitement for a week, all of the tenants decided to either return to their rooms or simply turn in for the night. As Yuki was yawning and preparing to enter the room, a hand gently stopped her, and she turned to see Sarah looking at her with a cheerful smile.  
  
"Hey kid, got a sec to check something out?" The American smiled.  
  
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"I found this while I was charting the underground passageways..." Sarah commented, as the two stared up at a giant vault door, which appeared to be made of at least a solid foot of steel. "Unfortunately, I can't make heads or tails of this... I'd ask your brother, but..." Yuki nodded in understanding, as everyone wanted Sho to relax after his heroic deeds today...  
  
Walking up, Yuki examined the control panel of the door with a curious eye. While she understood the basic mechanics of many machines, she was not as attuned to gadgets and machinery as her brother or cousin. After a moment, she found the power button and switched it on. The two watched as a series of lights flashed on its display, before a prompt showed up on its screen...  
  
[Enter birthdate] After some thought, Yuki decided to enter her mother's birthdate, and was awarded with a green light before the machine began to process more information.  
  
"Hey, not bad!" Sarah grinned.  
  
[Retinal scan required for secondary lock] Blinking, Yuki found what appeared to be a wall mounted goggle, and put her face up against it. Seconds later a beam of light washed over her eyes before another green light came on.  
  
"Alright! You go girl!" Sarah cheered.  
  
[Verbal confirmation of 'Greatest day' required for final lock] Frowning, Yuki looked back at the American, who shrugged as well. The white haired woman contemplated for what seemed hours when an idea suddenly popped in her head, and she turned towards the machine.  
  
"Cherry Blossom Festival!" Yuki exclaimed with a smile, and moments later the vault door opened with a quiet hiss before their astonished eyes, revealing only darkness beyond it.  
  
"Cherry Blossom Festival?" Sarah asked with a confused look.  
  
"Long story, I'll explain sometime." Yuki replied with a smile, and walked inside. Sarah was about to follow, when the vault door suddenly slammed shut in her face, separating the two. Panic gripping her heart, Yuki was about to try and open the door when lights began turning on, and she soon found herself in a technology lab of some sort. She then gasped as she saw a gigantic machine housed in the middle of it all, nearly ten feet in height with all types of lights flashing on its control panel. Then she saw it, on the control panel...  
  
A white envelope, addressed to her...  
  
Curious, she carefully opened the envelope, and pulled out a small letter...  
  
Hello Daughter,  
  
If you are reading this, I would assume that Sarah had led you to my secret lab. You might be wondering why the door shut her out, that is because I coded the security in it to only let those with my genetic coding in their DNA to enter. But let me get to the point of this letter.  
  
By finding this lab, it is clear that something has happened to your father and I, as neither of us would ever want you or Sho to find this lab. What you see before you is my greatest invention of all time, but I fear that its use would only cause pain to others, which is why I decided to seal it here, never to be seen again.  
  
I beg you, do not let anyone else read this letter when you're finished, and make sure that you and Sarah do not mention the existence of this lab to anyone else, especially your brother. Please do not question why, but do it out of love for your father and I.  
  
Love always,  
  
Mom  
  
Nearly at tears, Yuki set the letter down and looked at the controls to the machine. After reading some of the controls' descriptions, her eyes went wide as she realized in horror at what the machine before her was...  
  
"My God..." She whispered. "It's a time machine..."  
  
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Like? No like? Please review!  
  
Ooh, cliffhanger? Perhaps, but how will things go from here? Stay tuned, as more is coming soon! And as always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and suggestions very welcome! 


	8. Bloodlines

AN: Hello again folks, I'm happy to see that people are pleased with how the story is progressing, and I hope I can continue meeting your expectations. ^_^  
  
After some zoology research, I do have to agree that the "Felis Concolor" does not exist in Japan, my bad. ^_^ ;  
  
Apoligies for the late post, I wanted quality over speed, hope you enjoy!  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, original characters are created by me and may be used with permission.  
  
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For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 8: Bloodlines  
  
The training camp of the Shinmei-Ryu was full of activity as usual, as small groups of aspiring students practiced under the watchful eyes of instructors. The grounds filled with sounds of uniform footwork, followed by the roar of the students as they completed each step in their morning katas...  
  
Today however, proved to be different. As a lone figure strode through the practice area, students and instructors alike stopped their activities and watched as the trenchcoat clad man reached the temple housing the clan's influential members. Looking up at the sealed gates, he reached up and knocked three times, the now silent grounds echoing the sound from the iron gates as everyone member of the school watched on.  
  
With a loud creaking sound, the ancient gates slowly opened to reveal an old man. Though his hair was thin and white, the old man carried himself with confidence as he looked up at the visitor, squinting his eyes as he adjusted the samurai's daisho in his obi.  
  
"What is your business with the Shinmei-Ryu, stranger?" The old man asked, his voice surprisingly full of strength despite his age.  
  
"I have come to speak with the Grand Master." The visitor replied, bowing lightly in respect. "Please inform her that her student is here to see her, but I will understand if she is too occupied to see me." The old man stared into his eyes as if to weigh the truth of his words, and seeing that the visitor wasn't backing down, he turned and disappeared back within the temple. Moments later, the old man returned with three other men, and leading them was a woman, all wearing the white and red colors of the Shinmei-Ryu school.  
  
Though nearly fourty years old, the woman showed no signs of her age, as her long black hair cascaded down her back with a youthful shine. She carried with her a wooden bokken, which with her level of skill is considered a deadly weapon. As she emerged from the temple, all members of the school bowed respectfully, while the visitor kneeled to one knee and bowed respectfully.  
  
Motoko Aoyoma, Grand Master of the Shinmei-Ryu, took in every small detail before her with her sharp black eyes. As her gaze came to the visitor, a smile came to her face.  
  
"Rise, young one." The swordswoman said calmly, but with a voice of authority. "You're a honored visitor, there is no need to kneel." Seeing the visitor rise, she turned to the old man from earlier. "Kaizo?" The old man stepped forward and bowed. "Your memory must be catching up with your old age, if you don't recognize the heir of the Urashima bloodline." The old man's face paled visibly as the school members whispered to each other.  
  
"Master Kaizo did nothing wrong, Sensei." Sho smiled, brushing back his bangs from his face. "After all, it has been over two years since I last set foot in the school." He then produced a small package from his trenchcoat. "My sister sends her regards, and regrets she couldn't come with me today to see you."  
  
"Thank you, and tell Yuki that I miss her as well." Motoko smiled as she accepted the package. "Do come in, I'm sure there is much you want to talk about, seeing the trip is not short from Hinata-Sou."  
  
"Yes, we do have much to talk about." Sho agreed...  
  
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"Hey Yuki, it's me..." Emi called out from outside the younger Urashima's room. "You mind if I come in?" Moments later the screen door opened, and the white haired woman smiled brightly as she admitted her visitor in. Upon entering, the swordswoman took in the view of the room. A couple posters with popular bands were on the walls, along with some stuffed animals and a simple table completed her room.  
  
"So, what can I do for you?" Yuki asked with a smile, as the two sat at the table.  
  
"Well, I was just wondering..." Emi began, but trailed off as she noticed a swordstand beside the futon in the room. Curious, she walked up and studied the two swords on the stand. One had a white and black handle, and was in an obsidan black sheath which seemed to radiate a dark aura. The other had a white and gold handle, and was in a simple wooden sheath which seemed to radiate a pure aura. Looking at the two swords, the swordswoman suddenly gasped in recognition.  
  
"These... these are..."  
  
"Yes, they are." Yuki nodded, smiling at her friend. "The Hina blade and the reforged Shisui, both once wielded by your mother."  
  
"Absolutely amazing..." Emi whispered, her eyes still locked on the pair of swords in awe. She then raised an eyebrow at Yuki. "Not to sound rude, but why do you have these blades? I would've thought..."  
  
"Yes, normally Big brother would be their wielder..." Yuki interrupted with a sigh, a rare sad look in her eyes. This immediately drew Emi's attention as the younger Urashima continued. "However, Aunt Kanako forced him to place them in my care to prevent him from dishonoring them..."  
  
"Dishonor them?" Emi blinked. "How?"  
  
"By seeking revenge on the person who killed our parents..." Yuki replied quietly, her eyes holding back tears of sadness...  
  
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"...You're serious about this." Motoko said as she set her tea cup down, it was more a statement than a question. The swordswoman sat on a slightly raised platform, with four of the highest ranked swordmasters of the school beside her acting as council. Sho nodded in reply, kneeling a respectful distance from her.  
  
"I am, Sensei." Sho said calmly. "As much as I respect your judgement, I must ask that you reconsider."  
  
"The promise was made long ago between your father and I." Motoko sighed. "In honor of your father's memory, I cannot retract the promise." She then bowed apoligetically. "I'm sorry, Sho. I cannot help you." The young landlord sat quietly in thought for a long moment, before slowly rising to his feet.  
  
"So be it, Sensei." Sho's eyes held a determined gaze. "I challenge you, Grand Master of the Shinmei-Ryu." His voice bore no hatred, but carried strength. "Should you refuse the challenge or lose, you will immediately retract the promise made with my father."  
  
"Insolent brat!" Kaizo stood with a growl. "How dare you threaten the Grand Master?!" With a roar, he leapt from the platform and charged towards Sho with his katana drawn. With a blur of motion, the young landlord dodged the blade at the last second before batting it clear with a palm, then connected with a vicious backhand which sent the old man crashing into a pillar.  
  
Sho watched as the old man keeled over and vomit from his attack emotionlessly, then turned and glared at the remaining three swordmasters beside Motoko, causing them to flinch slightly. "Although I have much respect for the school..." Sho commented, then narrowed his eyes. "The next person who draws steel against me in anger will lose more than their breakfast."  
  
"Sho, please..." Motoko pleaded quietly. "It doesn't have to come to this..."  
  
"Accept, or yield?" Sho said calmly, ignoring her pleas.  
  
"I accept..." Motoko replied after a long moment with a sigh, much to the surprise of her fellow swordmasters.  
  
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In the kitchen of the Hinata-Sou, Sarah bit into an apple as she studied her notebook which contained the layout of most underground tunnels of the dorm. Meanwhile, Natsumi hummed quietly to herself as she prepared another culinary masterpiece for lunch. Hearing footsteps, the two turned and watched as Raina walked in with a cheerful smile and set two bags down.  
  
"Went shopping again for supplies, eh?" Sarah said with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Yup!" The scientist smiled, fishing around in one of the bags. "And lookie what I found on the bookracks today!" Pulling out a hardbound novel, she showed the other two tenants the cover of the book, to which Sarah merely blinked while Natsumi chuckled.  
  
"I've heard about that series!" Natsumi smiled. "So Auntie Kitsune is still writing about her days living here, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, and it's one of the big sellers on the market!" Raina exclaimed. "Actually, I got this for Sho, since I know he collects the series..."  
  
"Speaking of which, where is the dork?" Sarah asked. "I haven't seen him all day..." The three looked at one another, realizing none of them had seen the landlord at all through the whole day.  
  
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"Did you hear? That Urashima guy challenged the Grand Master to a duel!"  
  
"Man, that's going to be something... I heard he studied under the Shinmei- Ryu as well as the Urashima fighting arts as well!"  
  
"Two schools?! How's that even possible? I heard he's barely 19 years old!"  
  
The grounds hushed into silence as Sho stepped into the circle formed by the onlookers, who took off his dark trenchcoat to reveal that he wore a black sleeveless shirt underneath, revealing his lean and muscular arms as he clutched a sheathed katana in his hand.  
  
Motoko arrived seconds later, ignoring everyone's bows of respect and stopping ten paces from Sho, clutching her own katana with a determined look. Many of the onlookers whispered to each other in hushed tones until an elder swordsman walked up to the pair, a slight frown upon his face the only indication that he disapproved of the duel.  
  
"This duel is to be of first blood, honored warriors." The elder announced, indicating whoever drew blood first - usually in the form of a small cut or nick, would be the winner. "May your skills bring honor and glory to the Shinmei-Ryu, as you honor your ancestors in victory." Bowing, the elder stepped out of the circle, and everyone watched on in silence as the two combatants' eyes met.  
  
"I'll ask one last time, Sensei." Sho said quietly. "There is no honor lost in yielding, I do not wish to injure you."  
  
"I will not." Motoko replied calmly. "If I am to lose, so be it. But if I win, you will honor the promise immediately, for there will be no rematch."  
  
"Very well..."  
  
The two stared at each other motionlessly, as the crowd watched on in silence. Then as one, both drew their swords and roared, each unleashing a giant wave of energy towards the other, the pavement of the temple grounds disintegrating and shooting fragments everywhere as the two charged towards each other, both intent on winning the duel...  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Emi stood at the front doors of the Hinata-Sou, a concerned look on her face as she waited for the landlord's return. A smile crossed her face as a figure climbed up the last of the great steps in the distance, shadowed against the setting sun. But her smile faded just as quickly as the figure approached, revealing the resident Toudai professor as she returned from work.  
  
"Waiting on our beloved landlord, I see." Mei smiled at Emi upon reaching the front doors. Knowing that the history professor also had a degree in psychology, Emi merely nodded with a sigh, realizing that lying to her would be useless. "I'm sure he'll be back soon, he cares for you after all..." The swordswoman looked up in surprise, to which Mei smiled and patted her reassuringly before walking inside.  
  
Sighing, Emi was about to head back inside when she noticed that another figure had climbed up the steps, and smiled as she ran towards Sho, nearly bowling him over. Jumping up and latching her arms around the landlord's neck, the swordswoman kissed him passionately for a long time as he held her close in his arms.  
  
Finally forced to pull apart for air, Sho smiled down at her warmly. "Someone seemed to have missed me..." Nodding, Emi simply rested against him, happy by merely being close to him. After a long moment, she pulled away slightly to look up at him, a slightly annoyed look on her face.  
  
"And just what were you thinking?" Emi asked, punching him playfully. "How could you go to the training camp without telling me?" She tried to maintain an angry look, but failed as she felt him hug her close and place a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Sorry, at least Yuki told you..." Sho smiled apoligetically, then handed her a small letter. "This will hopefully explain everything." He then leaned down to give her a soft kiss, then smiled at her. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to my sister." She smiled and watched him until he disappeared into the dorm, then slowly opened the letter.  
  
Daughter,  
  
I've heard of your recent relationship with Sho, and I can only be proud of you. He is a noble man, much like his father was. He has also informed me that your skill have improved much since your arrival at the dorm, which makes me very happy.  
  
You may have wondered why Sho chose to visit me alone, without you accompanying him. The reason was very simple, as he worried that harm may befall you should you have went with him. When you were both very little, Sho's father and I arranged for a marrige between you two, as you two were clearly childhood sweethearts from the beginning. While this fact was to be revealed to you both after graduation from university, Sho somehow found out ahead of time and confronted me with it.  
  
When I informed him that I could not retract the promise made to his father, Sho challenged me to a formal duel. In all my years, I have yet to see anyone so skilled in the art as he defeated me soundly. But do not worry for me, as he did not harm me at all. As promised on the condition of my defeat, he asked that the marrige arrangement to be retracted, and also to pass on my former sword Shisui to you, both of which I agreed to.  
  
You might be asking why I agreed to such a thing, if he truly loves you and that I support the relationship between you two. I learned afterwards he did not fight because he despised the arrangement, but because he wanted you to make the choice yourself, free from arrangements and our interference.  
  
Sho is an honorable and strong man, daughter. I would not force you to choose him, but only pray that when the time comes for you to make that decision, that you make one worthy of his efforts today when he championed your freedom to choose.  
  
Fortunes and winds be with you, daughter.  
  
Mother.  
  
Blinking, Emi reread the letter a second time before folding it back and pocketing it. Looking up, she saw that the landlord was waiting for her at the doorway with a smile. Walking up to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed.  
  
"You idiot..." Emi whispered with a smile, her love for him soaring to new heights after reading the letter.  
  
"I am sometimes, aren't I...?" Sho smiled, gently pulling her away. "Come on, dinner's ready." Arm in arm, the couple smiled at each other as they entered the dorm together. Soon the sun finally set behind the hill, marking the end of yet another day at the wonderous Hinata-Sou...  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
Like? No like? Please review!  
  
Once again, sorry for the long delay! Life interferes in ugly ways sometimes, but I'll try to speed back up again. More will be coming soon! 


	9. The snow maiden

AN: (Peeks around nervously) I'm sorry for the late update last time, don't kill me!  
  
Well, I think my normal readers are starting to hate me for my update speed slowing down. But I do promise to have each chapter be filled with great content to make up for the speed. Hope you all enjoy!  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, original characters are created by me and may be used with permission.  


* * *

For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 9: The snow maiden  
  
Yuki stood quietly on the balcony of the Hinata-Sou, watching the snow fall around her. To any outsider the scene could only be described as magic, as not a flake of snow touched her, nor did she seem bothered by the cold, as she wore only a white sweater over a matching dress.  
  
Truly, the younger Urashima was at home in the element of her namesake.  
  
Hearing someone approaching from the steps, Yuki calmly turned and watched as the person came to view. A mixture of surprise and happiness crossed her face, and she quickly ran up to embrace the visitor happily.  
  
"My favorite Aunt in the whole world..." Yuki laughed as she pulled away from the hug. "How've you been?" The woman simply giggled happily, her long brown hair has begun showing strands of grey, but were nearly invisible unless you purposely looked for them. Even at double of Yuki's age, the woman's cheerful attitude and shapely figure still turned heads. Wearing a thick winter coat over a green and brown dress, she smiled as if it was a sunny summer day.  
  
Mutsumi Otohime, best friend and mentor to the younger Urashima, had arrived at the Hinata-Sou to join in the Christmas celebrations...  
  
"Good morning to you too, Yuki." The Okinawa native smiled. "I see you still like the snow very much..." She then joined Yuki in silence for a moment as they watched the snow fall, before continuing. "Two years already... It's been so long..."  
  
"Hey, none of that on the holidays." Yuki smiled, shoving the anemic playfully. "I do what Big brother says - Revere the past, but live for the future..." She then spread her arms wide and smiled, the flakes of snow swirling around her. "...I've been happy ever since."  
  
"Good advice, like the ones Motoko always gave." Mutsumi smiled, then blinked. "Speaking of which, where is Sho? I expected him to..." She then paused and looked up and over her shoulder to see the landlord looking down at her, smiling behind a sea of jet black hair. He wore a large and thick winter coat, which seemed to make him appear even taller and bulkier. "Well now..." Mutsumi giggled. "...I leave you alone for two years, and you've become all grown up!"  
  
"Hello Aunt Mutsumi." Sho smiled, leaning down to hug her. "It's good to see you again."  
  
"I'm jealous of you two." Mutsumi smiled, linking her hands through the siblings' arms with a cheerful smile. "You've both inherited your parents' good looks and charms, I'm surprised suitors haven't been stalking you two!"  
  
"Big brother's already taken, actually." Yuki smiled, and Sho was about to scold her when the trio heard an uproar of laughter inside the dorm, causing the landlord to frown and the women to blink in surprise.  
  
"What now...?" Sho muttered.  


* * *

"...And then, I decided to mix in a glob of wasabi into his sake when he wasn't looking!" More uproaring laughter came as the Urashima siblings walked into the living room. "You should've seen the look on his face!" Sho raised an eyebrow in amusement as he watched the two women in the living room laugh again before one of them turned to the siblings.  
  
Nearly silver blond hair was cropped short, and the woman's brown eyes were nearly squinted close with a mischievous smile on her face. Though she wore a large sweater and jeans, it's clear that she kept her body fit and attractive through excercise of some sorts. While there was enough sake bottles around to indicate she drank enough to knock out a party of eight, the only sign of intoxication she showed was a slight flush on her cheeks.  
  
Mitsune Konno, or known as "Kitsune" to her friends, smiled widely as she saw the siblings. Hopping off the couch, she hugged the younger Urashima close before eyeing her up and down.  
  
"Look at you!" Kitsune smiled. "Sarah was right when she said you looked like a princess!" Seeing Yuki smile at her compliments, the fox trickster grinned. "So, I bet you've nailed yourself a handsome boyfriend, right?" Surprised at seeing the young woman shake her head, her grin returned with a vengence. "Well, if you're interested... After Christmas I can take you to some strip bars to meet some 'well endowed' men, hmm?" She chuckled as Yuki stared at her with a shocked look before moving on.  
  
"Well now, aren't you something girls die for?" Kitsune grinned, and laughed as Sho picked her off her feet for a hug before setting her down. "Say kid, think you can do me a favor? I'll even throw in a copy of my next book for free before it hits the stores..." Kitsune smiled at the landlord before taking a swig from yet another sake bottle.  
  
Eyes lighting up at the bribe being thrown at him, Sho smiled back. "Sure Auntie, what do you need?"  
  
"Well..." Kitsune smiled, tracing a finger along his chest coyly and drawing a raised eyebrow from him. "I figured it's the holidays and all, so I was wondering... Maybe you can help me relieve some stress, get warm and cozy... You know?" She then laughed as Sho's face showed that of utter shock and disbelief from the suggestion, and went back to the couch.  
  
"That's cruel, Kitsune." Sarah shook her head with a smile from the other couch. "He's half your age, for crying out loud..."  
  
"Yeah, but it doesn't stop me from toying with them a little." Kitsune grinned shamelessly, before a knock was heard at the front door, to which everyone turned to look at the landlord.  


* * *

"Remind me why I'm here again?"  
  
"Humor me, Sho invited you. The least you could do is honor how well his father treated you and pay a visit."  
  
"I hate it when you use psychology on me, you know that?" The two figures chuckled as the door opened, and both looked up at the towering figure of Sho. The landlord had instantly recognized Mei, but was studying her companion more closely.  
  
The woman almost resembled Mei in many ways, with her nearly matching long auburn hair and brown eyes. She wore a long red and white furred coat in honor of the holiday being celebrated, but most people would've easily mistaken the two for twins. Sho, however, noticed the slightly more mature look in her eyes, as well as the slight height difference between the two.  
  
Naru Narusegawa, the late landlord's best friend and one-time study partner, looked up at Sho with surprise.  
  
"Hello ladies." Sho smiled. "Going to stare all day, Aunt Naru, or coming in?" Shaking off her surprise, the older woman smiled and gave the landlord a hug before entering, greeting the others cheerfully as Sho took their coats to hang in the closet. After receiving a hug from Yuki as well, the two auburn haired siblings sat with Kitsune and Sarah while the Urashimas busied themselves around the dorm.  
  
"It's so... Strange." Naru mused, tapping a finger to her chin in thought. "Those two are so..."  
  
"...So much like their folks, but better?" Kitsune finished for her old friend, grinning. "I'm with you on that one, neither of them seem to have taken up their bad habits..." She was interrupted by the sound of a pan connecting with something solid, followed shortly by Sho running away from the kitchen, being chased by an irate Shinobu.  
  
"Say what you want, he's still a dork." Sarah commented, and the rest laughed in agreement.  


* * *

Opening the front door, Yuki blinked as she looked up at the face of the visitor, then smiled in recognition as she bowed respectfully. Standing beside Emi, Motoko smiled and returned the bow, before the two embraced each other happily. Once inside, the two swordswomen handed their coats off to Sho, and moved to sit with the others in the living room.  
  
"You've become quite the lovely lady, Yuki." Motoko smiled at the younger Urashima, who smiled back and bowed at her compliment. "I'm sure your parents would be proud of you two..." The elder swordswoman smiled as Sho also joined the group, standing behind his sister and putting a hand around her shoulder gently. "...And you would take well to protect her from perverts, young one!"  
  
"Of course, Sensei." Sho smiled. "By the way, the balcony is ready, if you and Emi are..."  
  
"Ah, of course..." Motoko smiled. "It's been so long since I last celebrated Christmas here, I've almost forgotten about that..."  
  
"What Mom meant, is that she's gotten rusty over the years." Emi cut in with a taunting grin, causing everyone present to laugh and pay more attention to the mother/daughter's friendly rivalry.  
  
"Rusty, you say?" Motoko raised an eyebrow at her daughter with a smile. "Pride is the downfall of many a samurai, daughter."  
  
"So's old age, from what I've heard..." Emi replied with the same grin, causing even more laughter as the group moved as one towards the direction of the balcony. Blinking in surprise, Sarah and Mei looked at each other with confused looks, as they were the only two left in the room.  
  
"Did we just miss something?" Mei asked.  
  
"You will, if you two don't head towards the balcony." The two turned to see Haruka standing at the door, along with Kanako and Raina. The three carried what appears to be party favors and various types of ingredients requested by the master chefs for their cooking. "Looks like they're getting ready for ice sculpting again..." Haruka commented, puffing out a cloud of smoke.  
  
"Ice...Sculpting?" Sarah blinked.  


* * *

Yuki stood calmly in the middle of the balcony, watching the snow fall around her. She then looked over her shoulder and saw Sho waiting at the top of the stairway, who gave her a nod of reassurance. Smiling, Yuki nodded back and spread her arms towards the sky as if greeting old friends. She then began mouthing a silent chant, and slowly the calm snowfall came to a deadstop, before the flakes began spiralling around her, gathering in speed and coldness...  
  
As Mei reached the rest of the gathered crowd, she noticed that everyone was waiting just inside the dorm from the doorway leading to the balcony. She then also noticed that what was once a gentle snowfall had turned into a raging blizzard outside, to where she could see the snow shoot by fiercely from the screen doors. Looking around, she suddenly gasped as she noticed the Urashima siblings weren't present among the people.  
  
"Where are they?" The Toudai professor asked, and was shocked as several of the bystanders pointed outside nonchalantly. Worried for the siblings' health, she reached for the door...  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Kanako commented, but nontheless Mei opened the door and was about to step out when she bit back a yelp and stumbled back, nursing her hand which felt burnt from the biting cold outside. "Told you..." Shaking her head, the dark haired woman closed the door, then examined Mei's hand. "It's well below freezing out there, you're lucky you didn't get frostbite..."  
  
"But... Are they going to be okay out there?" Sarah asked, a rare moment of concern shown on her face.  
  
"Of course!" Raina exclaimed with a smile. "Yuki's actually out there creating that little show, comes from my side of the family, after all..." She chuckled and continued. "She's used to it, it's no big deal. Sho, however..." She tapped her foot, watching the blizzard for a moment. "It could be raining meteors out there for all it's concerned, but I don't think any of us will be able to pull him away from his sister..." She then turned to the crowd with a smile. "Besides, we know from experience the Urashima men can take a beating and keep going, right?" This earned a small laugh and nods of agreement from everyone.  
  
"Well, looks like we're ready for the show..." Emi smiled, as everyone noticed that the blizzard had stopped as suddenly as it started, reverting back to the gentle snowfall, as one the group filed out of the dorm and climbed the steps leading to the balcony...  


* * *

"Oops..." Yuki smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head, and everyone swore for a moment they saw a splitting image of Keitaro and Mutsumi when they did something foolish. "I think I made it a bit too big this year..." Everyone then turned and sweatdroped as they saw a cube of ice which would fill up a small container truck in the middle of the balcony.  
  
"It's not a problem, child." Motoko smiled and patted the younger Urashima's head. "Sho?" The landlord appeared beside the elder swordswoman, seemingly unfazed by the blizzard earlier. "Be a dear and split it in two evenly for us?" Bowing, Sho walked over to examine the ice block while Sarah and Mei walked up to the Shinmei-Ryu swordmasters with bewildered looks.  
  
"Hold on, you want the dork to do what?!" Sarah asked. "That block has to be at least several metres thick!"  
  
"Not to mention how cold it has to be!" Mei added. "You can't just..." She was interrupted as with a sudden roar, Sho connected with a vicious chop to the side of the ice block with his hand. Seconds later, a loud cracking sound was heard as the block split roughly through the middle. Then before astonished eyes, the landlord calmly strode to one end of the block and delivered a kick, the friction from the impact sliding half of the ice away a good five feet before stopping.  
  
"Well done, nephew." Kanako smiled, as the crowd applauded in amazement. "Looks like my lessons weren't a waste of time, hmm?" Smiling proudly, Sho bowed to both his mentors before joining the crowd, watching on as the swordmasters stood before their individual blocks.  
  
"Think you'll actually win?" Emi smiled at her mother, drawing Shisui from the sheath in preparation.  
  
"I still have a few tricks..." Motoko smiled back at her daughter, as she also drew her katana...  


* * *

After a quick lunch, everyone went off to their own activities. The Shinmei- Ryu swordmasters continued work on their ice sculptures, eager to prove their skills. Shinobu and Natsumi busied themselves in the kitchen, preparing what would be expected to be the dinner of a lifetime. Everyone else assisted in hanging up decorations and lighting around the dorm, save for Yuki and Mei, who were merely watching from outside the front of the dorm.  
  
The Toudai professor shuddered from the cold, even though she wore multiple layers of clothing under a thick long coat, and had a scarf wrapped tightly to prevent the chill going down her collar. She then peeked over and frowned as she realized that not only was the younger Urashima sibling wearing less than half of what she was wearing and showed no signs of being cold, but she also noticed that the falling snow seemed to avoid her altogether, even without using her powers.  
  
"Absolutely amazing..." Mei smiled, drawing Yuki's attention. "Who would've thought your mother named you for something other than your hair color?" Blinking, the younger Urashima laughed and shrugged, and the Toudai professor thought for a moment that a halo of snow had formed over her head.  
  
"Always the sharp eye, Mei." Yuki smiled, then nodded. "Mom knew that I would inherit her powers... That's how I got my name." She then kicked up a bit of snow, and Mei watched in amazement as they formed into small doves which took flight before turning into falling flakes again. "You're the only person other than Big brother who knows the truth behind my name, even Dad thought it was because of my hair..."  
  
Smiling, the two women watched on as the tenants and friends scrambled around the dorm with decorations.The two occasionally giving directions to the crew when they hung something the wrong way, or to give suggestions on the placement of lighting. Annoyed, Sarah flung a snowball down at Yuki from the top of the roof, complaining about the amount of work she was doing. Grinning, the Younger Urashima lightly stomped her foot down, and Mei stared in shock as the section of the roof Sarah was standing on created a minature avalanche, washing the American off in a sea of white powder...  


* * *

Night came swiftly as everyone gathered for the fabulous feast created by the two master chefs, and everyone showered Natsumi and Shinobu with compliments at seeing the variety of food prepared. Soon everyone was enjoying the feast, and amongst the friends and laughter, Haruka clinked her glass lightly with her fork, drawing everyone's attention.  
  
"It's always been tradition for the landlord to address the tenants at the Christmas dinner." The elder Urashima then smiled at Yuki and Sho. "So which one of you will honor us with a speech?" Blinking, the younger sibling looked towards her brother, and everyone cheered as Sho shrugged and rose with a smile.  
  
"Over the years, I've learned that there's many things I'm thankful for during the holidays..." Sho began. "I'm very thankful to be surrounded by my Aunts and mentors..." Many of the older women smiled. "As well as friends and loved ones..." The landlord smiled at Emi, who smiled back with a faint blush. "And of course, I'm thankful to have the greatest sister one could ask for." The comment drew a warm smile from Yuki, as Sho cleared his throat before continuing.  
  
"It was foolish of me to try and pull away from everything close to me, but I thank each and everyone of you for pulling me back to the real world." He raised his glass with a smile, to which everyone did as well. "And so, as landlord of the Hinata-Sou, I'd like to thank each of you for being here tonight, and to extend my hand in friendship for the years to come." Everyone cheered and drank along with the landlord, who settled back as everyone resumed the feast.  
  
"So, darling..." Kitsune nudged Sho with a mischeivous grin. "...You going to 'extend' anything else in friendship to your girlfriend over there?" The landlord choked on his food as Emi nearly spewed out her drink in shock, as everyone else stared at Kitsune with shocked looks.  
  
"Kitsune!" Everyone exclaimed, to which the writer merely laughed and slammed back another cup of sake...  


* * *

Seeing that everyone else has turned in for the night, Sho walked silently through the halls in near complete darkness. His movements making no sound as he made his way down the stairs to the living room, wearing his dark trenchcoat and a dark scarf. He then opened the front door and stepped out, again making no sounds as he closed the door.  
  
Yuki stood in the open, watching the moon quietly as the snow fell around her. She wore the same simple white sweater over her white dress, looking every bit the angelic figure with her long white hair flowing gently in the wind. Turning, she smiled as Sho walked up to her. The two siblings looked up at the moon for a long moment, admiring the view.  
  
Quietly, Sho looked down at his sister. "Do you really have to go?" He asked. "I wish you could stay with us for once through Christmas..."  
  
"You know I would love to be with everyone here, especially you." Yuki replied with a sad smile. "But you know I have to go..." Nodding in understanding, the two siblings embraced each other for a long moment.  
  
"Come back soon..." Sho smiled, pulling away from her reluctantly.  
  
"Of course." Yuki smiled. "I'm only gone until it stops snowing, expect me back soon!" Nodding, the landlord watched as his sister waved at him cheerfully, before a gust of wind blew between them. As he watched, her form seemed to turn into the same snow around them, and disappeared along the wind's current.  
  
Smiling slightly, Sho slowly made his way back inside the dorm. A small trail of ice and snow drifted in a small halo around the Hinata-Sou, before flying off and disappearing into the night...  


* * *

Like? No like? Please review!  
  
Ooh, didn't expect that, eh? Once again, apoligies for taking longer than usual. Hope you enjoy, as more is on the way! 


	10. The Truth

AN: To those of you still reviewing, thanks for your continued support!  
  
To those of you that I've had the honor of talking to on AIM, thanks for all your support and compliments!  
  
As always, Love Hina and its characters belong to Ken Akamatsu, original characters belong to me and may be used with permission.

* * *

For Love and Honor  
  
Chapter 10: The truth  
  
"She what?!" Emi blinked with a surprised look, staring up at the taller landlord.  
  
"Yuki's off to visit my cousins in Molmol for Christmas." Sho replied. "It's been tradition that she goes in place of Mom whenever they can't make it to Hinata for the holidays."  
  
"Still..." Natsumi sighed sadly. "I wish your sister could've stayed with us for Christmas..."  
  
"I know..." Sho smiled sadly, then turned and left the living room. Mei watched the landlord leave in silence with a thoughtful expression, then frowned slightly to herself. Noticing the Toudai professor's look, Raina decided to inquire if anything was wrong.  
  
"Our landlord is hiding something..." Mei commented. "It's plausable that Yuki is visiting your parents, but to leave so suddenly..." She then turned to the foreign inventor. "Maybe you can explain what's going on?"  
  
"Maybe she just wanted to avoid the crowd at the airport?" Raina offered with a nervous chuckle, then excused herself from the group quickly. Shruging it off, Natsumi also excused herself to prepare lunch for the dorm, leaving the Toudai professor and swordswoman alone.  
  
"Something's definetly not right..." Mei narrowed her eyes, then turned to Emi. "Come, I believe I know the people who can provide some answers to our little mystery..."

* * *

"...You're telling us this happens every single year?!" Mei gaped in surprise, holding a cup of tea.  
  
"That's right." Kanako replied, sipping her tea calmly. "It's more or less been a tradition since when the kids were about ten, why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, we have a feeling that this goes deeper than just a visit to relatives..." Emi asked. "Even Raina didn't really say much on the matter... So we were wondering if you could shed some light on it for us..."  
  
Kanako and Haruka turned and looked at each other for a long moment, then turned back to the two younger women. "Truth be told, if Sho's hiding anything, none of us know about it." Haruka commented. "If you're seeking information, you'll have to pry it out of him personally..."  
  
"I might be a psychologist..." Mei grumbled. "But getting information from a dead man is easier than from him..."

* * *

"Sho, we need to talk..." The landlord turned from where he was examining the finished products of ice sculptures - A coiled oriental dragon, and a flight of delicate butterflies over a valley. He smiled at seeing Emi, but his smile faded slightly at seeing the serious expressions on her face.  
  
"Sure, what can I help you ladies with?" Sho smiled, then frowned slightly as Emi slowly drew her sword, a determined expression on her face. "Um, Emi...?"  
  
"Enough!" The swordswoman yelled, causing the landlord to take a step back. "I care too much for you and Yuki to simply stand by and do nothing!" She then pointed her sword at him. "You're hiding something from us, and if I must beat it out of you, I will do it!"  
  
"And if I refuse your challenge?" Sho replied.  
  
"You won't." Emi grinned. "I know you, your pride as a Shinmei-Ryu student wouldn't let you back down." Seeing how a brawl might begin with the two lovers, Mei tried to interrupt the two, but was silenced with a gesture from Sho.  
  
"Very well then..." Sho sighed, then settled into a stance. "Let's see if your recent training have paid off..."

* * *

"What in the world did you build this time?!" Sarah asked with a bewildered look, as she looked up at the monstrous machine in Raina's lab.  
  
"It's a snow shovel!" Raina replied gleefully, and the American sweatdropped at seeing the scientist cackling madly before reasserting herself. "I built this to help my cousin out, actually." She smiled as she patted the machine lovingly. "After all, it's just not fair for him to manually shovel all that snow out there for us..."  
  
"Feh, he's the landlord, it's his job!" Sarah grumbled. "Besides, he's plenty fit, let him work!"  
  
"Hey, you just say that 'cause you're paying rent!" Raina bit back. "I'm doing this out of good will, something you've apparently run low on!" Sarah was about to bite back with her own insults, but had to agree that the landlord has been treating her with nothing but respect, and sighed.  
  
"Fine, you win." Sarah mumbled. "But shouldn't you test this out before bringing it out into the field?  
  
"Exactly!" Raina smiled. "And I've got roughly 10 cubic feet of snow here to assist the test run!" Sarah raised an eyebrow at seeing the pile of snow on a plastic tarp in front of the machine, then shrugged as she watched the inventor begin powering up the machine.  
  
"Well, everything seems to check out! Lets..." Raina frowned as a warning red light came on, along with a buzzing alarm. "Uh oh..."  
  
"UH OH?!" Sarah's eyes bugged out, just as the machine exploded violently, creating a gigantic hole and spilling the contents of the lab, including the two women, into the darkness below...

* * *

Sho cringed as he picked himself up from the balcony, his trenchcoat in tatters and minute cuts covered his arms and legs. His breathing came in rough gasps as he eyed his opponent. Emi stood several paces away, her uniform pristine and untouched throughout the conflict. She looked into the landlord's eyes calmly as she fell into another stance, her sword held parallel with her eyes.  
  
"You've definetly improved..." Sho smiled, the cuts on his face mending and disappearing with unnatural speed. "I'm going to be proud to tell Sensei that you're ready to inherit the school..."  
  
"Not improved, just determined." Emi replied.  
  
"In any case, I yield." Sho smiled, to the surprise of the two women. "But I can only tell someone closest to me our deepest family secret..." He then bowed to Mei. "I hope you'll understand..."  
  
"Of course." The Toudai professor nodded. "But remember, we're all here for you, if you ever want to talk..." Sho smiled and nodded at her, before going back inside the dorm with the swordswoman in tow...

* * *

"Ugh... This is why I have little faith in people with the Su family name..." Sarah grumbled as she climbed out from the wreakage of the snow shovelling machine.  
  
"I said I was sorry, okay?" Raina coughed, as she too climbed out from the wreakage. The two then looked upwards and sighed simultaneously. "Wow, we fell quite a ways, didn't we?"  
  
"Great, just great..." Sarah muttered, fishing out a notebook from her back pocket. "Now if I can get some light, I'll be able to figure out where we are under the dorm..." As if on cue, a flood of lights turned on around the two women, revealing them inside a gigantic laboratory. "What the hell is that thing...?!" The American asked with wide eyes, as she and Raina stared at the dominating piece of machinery in the lab.  
  
"Whoo!" Raina laughed, staring at the machine much as a young child would at a Christmas present. "It must be my birthday finding something like this!"

* * *

"So, what now?" Emi asked, sitting calmly in the landlord's room. Sho had discarded his ruined trenchcoat and torn shirt, and had his back to her as he changed into a loose shirt. The swordswoman blushed as she stared at his muscular back, and barely composed herself as Sho sat across from her, a small smile on his face.  
  
"Well, I believe this is where you ask me a hundred questions, and I have to answer them all..." This brought a laugh to them both, as Sho calmly poured two cups of tea in preparation for their long talk.  
  
"I'm not as nosy as Mei." Emi smiled. "But I'd be more appreciative if I could to know more about you and Yuki..." She then sighed. "Even though I've known you both since we were all kids, I feel like I don't know anything about you..." She blinked in surprise as the landlord wrapped his arms around her, and rested her head on his shoulder quietly.  
  
"What I'm about to tell you is something no one aside my sister and I know..." Sho whispered in her ear, as he gently stroked her hair. "It's a secret that not even my own parents nor anyone else knows... But I trust you will keep it to yourself..." Sensing her nod slowly, he continued. "Remember when we were about ten years old, on that ski trip...?"  
  
"How could I not...?" Emi smiled slightly. "The two of you nearly had us scared to death..."

* * *

Ten years ago...  
  
A younger Sho and his sister looked at Raina nervously, as the young inventor was strapping herself into what appeared to be a jet powered sled. After finishing the final touches, Raina looked up at the two and flashed a grin. "Coming along? There's plenty of room in here!"  
  
Laughing, Yuki shook her head. "No thanks, cousin." She then indicated to the skis she wore. "It's a different feeling on skis, but we wish you luck with your invention!"  
  
"Suit yourself, seeya at the bottom!" Raina laughed, then with a defeaning roar the sled shot down the ski slope at a blinding speed, surprising both of the siblings.  
  
"How about that? I thought it was going to blow up..." Sho smiled, then noticed a faint rumble in the distance as the ground began to shake. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes widened as he saw a tidal wave of snow rushing towards them. 'Avalanche!' He thought, and carrying a confused Yuki under his arms, began going down the slope as fast as he can. 'Must've been the engine from the sled...'  
  
"Oh God..." Kaolla whispered at the bottom of the slope, watching on helplessly as her children tried to outrun the avalanche. By now, everyone else from the Hinata-Sou were also on scene, only able to watch on in horror as the snow began gaining on the two children...  
  
'Can't... Make it...!' Sho thought nervously, sensing the snow coming closer behind him. Looking down, he saw the frightened face of his sister looking back at him, and sighed inwardly as he knew that he was going to fail in protecting her...  
  
"I'm sorry..." He whispered to her, and was surprised to see her smile slightly in understanding.  
  
"Nooo!" Emi cried at the bottom of the slope, as she and the rest watched on while the avalanche finally caught up to the siblings, consuming them in a tidal wave of snow and ice...

* * *

The present...  
  
"...I was crying constantly the two hours before the rescue team found you two..." Emi sighed, still resting in the landlord's arms. "I was just glad we didn't lose you two..." She was then surprised as Sho pulled away gently, looking into her eyes calmly.  
  
"And that, is the greatest secret held on by my sister and I..." Sho smiled sadly. "We didn't survive the avalanche, Emi... Between the cold and lack of oxygen, we were both long gone before they got to us..."  
  
"But..." The swordswoman was at a loss for words. "Then that means you're both..."  
  
"Spirits?" Sho smiled. "Not quite, but close." He then looked outside the window calmly. "You have heard the legend of the snow maiden, right?" Emi nodded quietly, as it was a popular story told to children about a beautiful woman dressed in white who guided the lost through snowstorms. "Rest assured, she's not a legend, but quite real..." Seeing the swordswoman's surprised expression, he took a sip of tea before continuing.  
  
"The snow maiden took pity on us, knowing how much we cared for each other as siblings..." Sho smiled. "She brought us back to the living, on the condition that I would be Yuki's guardian for as long as I live, and that my sister visit her once a year to eventually take her place as the next snow maiden..." He then chuckled at seeing Emi trying to digest all the information. "So I guess things might not work out, now that you've found out you love someone who's technically dead, hmm...?"  
  
Cupping the landlord's face in her hands, Emi drew him into a long, passionate kiss. She then looked into his eyes and whispered quietly. "I don't care about what happened in the past, just so long as I don't lose you ever..." Blinking in surprise, Sho merely nodded, and the two shared another long kiss before a rumbling sound disturbed them.  
  
"Great..." Sho grumbled. "What did Raina do this time...?"

* * *

"You idiot!" Sarah screamed, shaking Raina by her shirt collar. "I told you not to mess with the controls, but do you listen?" The American then dropped her and sighed. "Now the freaking thing is going to explode, and we're trapped in here..."  
  
"Um... would it help if I said I was sorry...?" Raina smiled sheepishly at Sarah as she fumbled with the controls, and sweatdropped at seeing the American glare at her.  
  
"If I could take a nuclear explosion to the face like the dork or his Dad, sure!" Sarah yelled. "Unfortunately, neither of us are Urashimas, so we're kinda screwed here!"  
  
"Alright, I'm sorry!" The inventor sighed, then hopped on a platform with a variety of controls and tinkered a bit. Slowly, the room finally stopped shaking, and all the red flashing lights reverted to the standard white lights. The two women sighed in relief at averting a potential disaster which could've leveled their beloved dorm, and Raina slumped down on the platform wearily.  
  
"Well, thank goodness that's over..." Her eyes suddenly went wide in surprise as the machine shot a gigantic bolt of electricity through her, and the last thing Raina saw before blacking out was Sarah running towards her screaming something with a worried look on her face...

* * *

"Erg..." Raina groaned as she slowly came to, wincing at the amount of noise around her. As she sat up, she blinked in disbelief as she took in her surroundings. All around her the tenants of Hinata-Sou of past and present were present, celebrating Christmas Eve in cheer. Natsumi and Shinobu was finishing the final touches on the magnificent party platters they had prepared, while Kitsune had her arms wrapped around Sho and Emi, teasing the two blushing youths nonstop. Yuki was speaking with Mutsumi and Naru in another area of the room, while Mei seemed to be in some philosophical discussion with Kanako and Haruka...  
  
"Finally come to, sleepy head?" A woman's voice giggled beside her. And as Raina turned to the speaker, she gasped at seeing a slightly more mature version of herself smiling at her.  
  
"Aunt Kaolla?" Raina asked in disbelief, and grimaced as the woman laughed and ruffled her hair.  
  
"Who else, silly kid?" The older woman smiled. "Let me guess, you ate too many of Shinobu's banana sundaes, right?" The young inventor peeked at the table beside the couch she had lid on, and sure enough there was five empty sundae plates. "You probably just had some weird dream then, happens to me when I eat too many of them myself!"  
  
Blinking, Raina looked around and finally spotted Keitaro, who was sharing stories of his latest archeological find with Sarah, who was listening eagerly with a bright smile and taking notes from the elder explorer. Her eyes then widened as the Urashima siblings leapt on her, and laughed as she tried to fend off the two as they tickled her playfully.  
  
"And just what do you think you were doing, sleeping during a party like this?" Sho smiled, tickling his cousin and causing her to laugh and squirm even more.  
  
'Just a bad dream, that's all...' Raina thought, then laughed and struggled as Sho held her down, while Yuki tickled her all over. Amidst the wonderful food, laughter, and friends, Christmas at the Hinata-Sou once again filled its halls with love and friendship for years to come...

* * *

Like? No like? Please Review!  
  
Finally, the sequel of my very first series has drawn to a close! Once again I thank everyone for their support in my works, and I would like to announce that I will indeed be starting up another story soon! (No, this will not be a sequel to this) See you all soon! 


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